


Effect

by thealigirl8



Category: 2PM, Big Bang (Band), DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, Jay Park (Musician)
Genre: Drabbles, Experiment, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-24 13:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 27,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1607435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealigirl8/pseuds/thealigirl8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When every single thing we do affects those around use, how does this play out in the K-pop world when everyone is constantly forced together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Changmin

Changmin woke up that morning grumpy. Don’t ask him why: he himself couldn’t really pinpoint an exact reason. Maybe it was because Yunho wasn’t lying next to him in bed, leaving him with no one to cuddle with or grind out his morning wood on. Maybe it was because they had to film for the SBS Gayo today and Changmin hated having to be around so many people and playing nice. Or maybe it was that Yunho’s enlistment was coming up soon and it was looming over the couple like a hundred-meter wave before a tsunami hits. It could have been a hundred things or nothing but all Changmin knew was that he was not in a good mood. 

He rolled out of bed. No literally, Changmin rolled until his body fell off the bed as it seemed like too much effort to actually get up. The floor was more comfortable than he thought it would be but the fall hurt enough that Changmin forced himself to crawl a couple feet before rearranging his protesting bones into an upright stance. Once he had accomplished that, a fine achievement if Changmin could say so himself, the singer made his way to their kitchen. Well, his kitchen really, but the boys slept over at each other’s apartments so often they thought of them of “their” apartments. Sure enough, there was Yunho in the kitchen, attempting to warm up leftovers for breakfast without burning them. 

“Morning, Changdola!” Yunho greeted brightly, turning from his work to give Changmin a morning kiss but the maknae had already collapsed into a chair and rested his head in his arms.

Changmin growled back. How dare Yunho be this happy in the morning? Changmin really didn’t understand it; only crazy people were happy in the mornings. Oh God, Changmin’s dating a lunatic. 

“You excited for Running Man today? Kwangsoo’s really excited to see you,” Yunho said as he served up the slightly charred looking leftovers. 

Changmin grunted a reply. No, he was not excited. He had actually forgotten about Running Man on top of everything. He lifted his head just enough to give the “food” a skeptical glance.

“Oh come on, Minnie, you have to eat to keep up your strength. We have a lot to do today.” Yunho nudged his lover and Changmin relented, eating just enough to satisfy Yunho. He knew he was taking his anger out on Yunho but Yunho loved him no matter what so he knew Yunho wouldn’t take it personally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay y'all, I'm back with a new story and this is what you need to know: This is an experimental story where I'll be exploring the way our actions affect those around us. This entire story will take place in one day and I aim to make each chapter between 100 and 500 words with 1000 words being the absolute cap. Each chapter will be a different person's perspective with HoMin, ToBae, and TaecJay being the main characters, although there will be a large variety of people with cameos. This story is extremely, extremely different from Cycle so if you're looking for Cycle.2, you will not find it here. 
> 
> With that said, what did you guys think of the first chapter? Feedback is life :)


	2. Yunho

Changmin was grumpy. Yunho hated it when Changmin was truly angry but grumpy Changmin was just too cute to resist. He knew his lover was more of a night owl than a morning bird but today something else must have been bugging Changmin because the man had dragged the comforter all the way from the bedroom so he could stay huddled up during breakfast. Yunho tried not to smirk too much as he took in Changmin’s new marshmallow impersonation and the bed-hair that was determined to defy the laws of physics by sticking out in every which direction. Changmin was guaranteed to not take that well in his current cranky state. 

After eating, Changmin took far too long to get ready but Yunho didn’t have it in his heart to rush the boy who looked so down-trodden. While Changmin dragged his feet to the van, Yunho practically skipped in his excitement. Changmin may not be excited for Running Man but Yunho adored filming for that show; it was lots of fun, active, and engaged his rampant competitive spirit. Yunho could accept a loss but both he and Changmin were ridiculously competitive. They were always having little competitions in their home; who could make Heechul lose his temper the fastest, who could spot a sasaeng fan first, who could make the other come the most times, you know, all the usual stuff. Plus, if Changmin was going to be such a downer, then Yunho was going to have to be extra energetic to pick up his slack. Extra energetic was something Yunho did well. 

“Hi, hyung!” Yunho practically shouted to Gary during greetings before the shoot started. Gary grinned back and the two quickly hugged. The Running Man members were just as excited to see TVXQ as Yunho was to see them and the atmosphere was high. Yunho congratulated himself on a job well done. 

Their assignment for the day was to obtain items that would help in the final mission of delivering toys to children, as it was Christmas soon. Of course, there wouldn’t be real children but there would be a relay course to get to multiple “houses” before returning to the “North Pole.” Yunho was exhilarated about the thought of an obstacle course being the finale because no one could really cheat in that. Yunho abhorred cheating; it was a sign of poor character. Unless it was Changmin cheating. Then it was adorable. With his mood even more elated, Yunho practically skipped off into the zoo, the first mission location, to find a reindeer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's the second chapter. I'll be updating (hopefully) every 4 days by the way. What did you guys think? Comments are my life so I love all of you that share your thoughts and criticisms! Never doubt that ;P 
> 
> Oh, and for those ToBae and TaecJay shippers out there, they are coming, just have a little bit of patience please. <3


	3. Gary

Watching Yunho practically float into the zoo, charming every person he passed, Gary let a small smile grace his face as he remembered his own clever, cheerful flower boy. Joongki had been jealous of Yunho the first time they met because the man was practically perfect and so friendly to Gary that Joongki was sure Yunho was trying to steal Gary away from him. Not that their relationship was public of course, but then, when was jealousy familiar with reason? It took Gary a long night and lots of nuzzling until Joongki really believed that Gary wasn’t interested in Yunho. The older man didn’t mention that perhaps he would have been if he hadn’t met Joongki first and if Yunho wasn’t obviously in a relationship with Changmin. Gary had a foolish character on Running Man but he was actually really clever and very little slipped by him.

Joongki had been in the army for a long time now and Gary would be able to hold his lover in his arms again soon. With all the attention on celebrity soldiers the last few years, the couple decided not to risk visitation. Joongki had offered to let their relationship be open for the duration of his enlistment so Gary wouldn’t have to go without sex for twenty-one months but Gary had declined. It was sweet of Joongki to think of Gary, but the older man had more self-control than that. Joongki was the only one Gary wanted and the rapper wasn’t going to endanger their relationship just because he couldn’t keep it in his pants for a few months. Hyori had waited for him when he was enlisted, all those years ago, back when they were together. Gary loved Joongki more than he, in retrospect, loved Hyori so there was no chance he wasn’t going to wait. 

Turning to his cameraman, Wonbae, Gary allowed a little smirk to curve his mouth. “Have you talked to your wife yet today?” he asked. Wonbae’s wife was eight months pregnant and Gary had no qualms about using that to get what he wanted: privacy.

Wonbae paled as he realized that he had forgotten to phone his wife before the filming started, as he had promised. “Shit. No, Gary-hyung, I totally forgot. Do you mind if I?” He let his voice tilt at the end so the question was clear. 

“No, go right ahead.” Gary grinned; he was getting so much better at manipulating people, not that he would ever do that in his personal life. Maybe Running Man was teaching him bad things….

“Are you sure it’d be okay?” Wonbae asked again. He didn’t want to get in trouble and lose his job right before his first child. 

“Yes, Wonbae-ah, I’m sure the viewers won’t miss a couple minutes of me walking around.”

“Okay… It’ll only take a minute or two, so don’t go far.” Wonbae gently placed his camera on the cobblestone path and walked away to deal with a hormonal wife, that he loved dearly, but still damn hormonal. 

Gary waited until Wonbae was out of sight, then he pulled his own cellphone out of his pocket. Normally, he would never do this during filming but he just needed to hear his baby’s voice. 

“Hyung?” Joongki’s voice sounded confused but Gary still smiled to hear it. “What’s up? Did something happen during filming?” That was just like his Joongki, over-thinking things and worrying over nothing. Gary had no problems with Joongki being more intelligent than he was; in fact, it made him proud that the younger man could shame an entire room of Ivy League scholars. 

“No,” Gary replied, “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Oh.” Without even seeing his face, Gary knew Joongki was blushing a flaming red right now. Gary often said sweet things to his lover but that never stopped Joongki from being a titillating mixture of embarrassed and flattered every time. Still, Gary rarely called during the day unless it was an emergency. And yes, being extremely horny did count as an emergency. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Joongki’s tone was softer now, his love for the rapper riding the electronical waves of his voice. 

“Yeah. Just filming as usual. I’m at the zoo right now.” Gary knew Joongki loved animals, even when the younger man didn’t want to show it. The actor hated being called a flower boy, since he was worth so much more than that title, and he thought that animals reinforced that image. 

“Yeah? What are the teams today?” Joongki asked, honestly curious. Joongki adored Running Man and hated when he had to leave the show. After his last filming, Gary and Joongki had gotten super drunk and re-watched all of Joongki’s favorites episodes. There was some crying on Joongki’s part but Gary wasn’t going to tell anyone. That genuine vulnerability was for Gary’s eyes only. 

“It’s a solo game today, every man for himself,” Gary replied. 

“So you’ll win again, is what I’m hearing,” Joongki responded without hesitation. 

Gary grinned like a love-struck fool at Joongki’s utter confidence in him. In all honesty, Gary usually could win when he actually wanted to but hearing Joongki say it out loud made Gary’s heart sing like a fat lady at the opera. “You know it, baby.”

Joongki chuckled, a sound that never failed to stir something in Gary’s pants. “I’d better hear about your victory then. Listen, hyung, I’ve got to go. They’re going to notice I’m gone soon.”

“Okay. Work hard!” Gary knew his lover always put 100% into everything but he said it anyway. 

“Will do! Call me tonight? You can tell me all about how you kicked ass and what kind of prize you won?”

“10:00, just like usual. And I already have the best prize in the world.” Gary could imagine Joongki rolling his eyes but if words were the only thing they could share, then Gary was going to use them in any and every way possible.

“Whatever. I think you’re getting cheesier with your advanced age.”

“Or maybe you just bring out the best in me.” Gary’s cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so long but he couldn’t get himself to stop. 

“Right. I gotta go, hyung. Love you!” 

“I love you too, baby.” Gary heard the phone click after his statement but he wasn’t sad since he would talk to Joongki once again tonight. As he slipped his cell back into his pocket, Gary felt more energized that he had after three cups of coffee and was ready to win the day for Joongki. Maybe he would even get a little treat later for all his effort….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know, I know, I already broke my own rule. (if you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the notes in the first chapter) But I just love Gary so much and this is his only appearance in this story! And yes, I do ship him with Joongki, Yunho, and Hyori. Mostly Joongki but there was a little chemistry with Yunho and Hyori too so I will build my own ship and sail it as I please. *runs off to La La Land where everyone wants to get with Gary*
> 
> Anywhoo, what'd y'all think of the third chapter? I know it's difficult to comment when the chapters are so darn short but this is the format that fit the story and I refuse to change it just to satisfy my greed for comments lol. Love me and the story anyway or hate it? Have a lovely day everyone!


	4. Kwangsoo

Kwangsoo strode into the zoo, already knowing he would have to visit the giraffes in order to make the viewers laugh. He had nothing against giraffes, really, he just got a little tired of the same joke again and again and again. Oh well, might as well find them sooner rather than later, then he could focus on the actual game again. 

Just as Kwangsoo was turning the corner to the African Exhibit, he heard Gary’s unmistakable voice. Speeding up so he could have fun with one of his favorite hyungs, Kwangsoo came to a sudden stop once he realized that Gary was on the phone, and having a rather private conversation at that. 

“I just wanted to hear your voice,” was all Kwangsoo needed to hear to know who Gary was talking to. Few people knew of Joongki and Gary’s relationship but, being extremely close to both of them, Kwangsoo was allowed within the inner circle. Kwangsoo knew he should have turned around and left the pair to each other in private but he couldn’t resist staying. He was acting as a scout so no unwanted ears heard, that’s what he told himself, but Kwangsoo really just wanted to hear the conversation. Kwangsoo listened to Gary’s laughter with a sinking heart and was startled when Gary hung up the phone before heading his way. Kwangsoo broke into a sprint in the opposite direction so Gary wouldn’t see him and know he was eavesdropping. 

When he finally came to a stop, Kwangsoo panted and sulked off towards the alligators. He wasn’t quite in the mood for merriment anymore. It wasn’t so much that he was in love with Gary or Joongki but Joongki was one of his best friends and he had become very close to Gary since the start of Running Man. He was happy for them, really, but they had little free time as celebrities and now the couple almost always spent it together. Kwangsoo was a big enough man to admit that he was jealous; jealous that Joongki didn’t have time for him anymore, jealous that Gary preferred Joongki to him, and jealous of their relationship. Kwangsoo had no one and every time he saw the two together, that just reminded him of his own solitude. Fuck, it was hard when two of your best friends were dating each other. 

Jong Kook called out to Kwangsoo from the reptile exhibit he was passing but Kwangsoo only huffed and clipped Jong Kook on the shoulder as he strode passed. He could not deal with their on-stage relationship right now. Jong Kook was a big boy and could deal with it; Kwangsoo needed some time to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think life must be hard for Kwangsoo sometimes with his on-screen character and his friendship with Joongki. Oh well, he's loved anyway. Comments?


	5. Jong Kook

Jong Kook felt his breath hitch a little when Kwangsoo knocked into him. The man was deceptively strong and, while Jong Kook didn’t have to take a step back, his shoulder ached as it was wrenched back in a slightly awkward position. Jong Kook let a small puff of air escape his lips and he rotated his arm a couple times to loosen up the stressed joint. His cameraman looked at him in concern but said nothing, trained to never speak unless absolutely necessary. Jong Kook just shrugged back, not too worried. 

Kwangsoo was only twenty-nine after all and the industry was rather harsh on people. Not that life was forgiving to the rest of the world, but celebrities rarely had the chance to be angry or frustrated. They were expected to put on a goddamn smile and fake it. The Running Man Family had worked together for so long that the cast members were allowed their rare moments of distress without anyone tattling to the media. 

Putting it behind him, Jong Kook headed off to the tigers before he too searched for the reindeer exhibit. He himself wasn’t as authoritarian as the show portrayed him but tigers were his spirit animal anyway and he didn’t mind making that joke again. He ran into an incredibly excitable Yunho who had met up with his teammates Gary and Haha to search for the winter animal together. Since Jong Kook was also on their team for the day, he joined them in their hunt and it wasn’t long until they discovered the reindeer and won the first mission, earning them an advantage in the final mission. 

“A~sa!” Yunho screamed as he jumped into the air. Haha and Gary laughed at his antics and Jong Kook shook his head fondly. It amazed him that Yunho was older than Kwangsoo. Some people are just perfect, Jong Kook thought, as he followed the cast to the lunch area. There wouldn’t be a game for food today as the crew was well acquainted with Changmin’s love for food. 

“Minnie!” Yunho cried as his bandmate came into sight and he ran over to the younger man. Once again, Jong Kook could only shake his head as the pair raced each other to the buffet. He couldn’t remember being that energetic when he was their age. Getting to the huge table last, Jong Kook felt Kwangsoo plop himself down into the spot next to him. The Commander looked over at his younger friend and tried to think of ways that he could cheer Kwangsoo up a little bit. He didn’t want to say anything out loud for fear of embarrassing the actor but something had to be done. Grinning to himself slightly as he thought of a plan, Jong Kook started transferring bits of Kwangoo’s favorite foods from his plate to Kwangsoo’s. 

The “Giraffe” looked up in surprise and tried to stop Jong Kook. “Hyung, you don’t have to, it’s okay.”

“No worries, all the sweet bread is already out and I know it’s your favorite. I don’t need the calories anyway.” Jong Kook gave Kwangsoo a significant look, daring the other to defy him. Kwangsoo smiled back a little, a true smile, and began to eat the sweet bread with a little more vigor than Jong Kook had seen from him since the morning. Jong Kook smirked around his mouthful of chicken and turned back to the main conversation, having accomplished his mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life in the industry is hard. Any guesses on who'll be the next chapter?


	6. Yunho

Well, Changmin didn’t appear quite back to his full happiness level yet. The younger man seemed slightly less down to Yunho since they were out and about but Yunho was familiar enough with Changmin’s behavioral patterns to know he would stay in a funk for a while until pushed out of it. Yunho had thought that the competitive spirit and the exercise would provide that extra “oomph” but it appeared that today, it wasn’t going to be enough. Even their little race to the table had been half-hearted on Changmin’s part, and he didn’t do anything half-assed when it pertained to food consumption. 

At this point, Yunho would usually resort to kissing Changminnie until he relented or fucking the sense out of him but unfortunately, they had a full schedule. And the last time they had sex in a car, they almost broke Changmin’s cock. You wouldn’t think that’d be possible but they were quickly educated, and apparently, you can actually fracture your penis. Who knew? Yunho definitely didn’t want to risk it again. Their members were very precious to both of them. 

Yunho slumped down into his seat, a little miserable at his failure to cheer up his boyfriend. He looked to the side at the Running Man members and happened to catch Jong Kook forcing Kwangsoo to eat his sweet bread. Kwangsoo laughed out loud as he tried desperately to avoid the sugary confection – failing miserably - and it was the first genuine laugh Yunho had heard from him this morning. Yunho gaped at the pair before he remembered his poise and snapped his jaw shut. 

Damn it, damn it, damn it. Yunho was a bad boyfriend, he just knew it. Here Jong Kook was giving his food to Kwangsoo and they weren’t even dating! Why hadn’t he thought of that? Changmin was always looking for more food and it might give him a little extra boost. Yunho was on a diet too; he shouldn’t have so much food anyway. The label said he needed to lose a couple pounds. Changmin had vehemently protested and spent an entire afternoon worshipping Yunho's "perfect" body but, in the end, the company and Yunho’s insecurities won out and Yunho was now on a restricted calorie diet. 

Surveying his plate for the item with the highest calories that Changmin liked most, Yunho instantly began transporting the food from his plate to Changmin’s. Normally, he’d just feed it straight to Changmin but the younger man hated it, said it was too cheesy, and they were in public anyway. Changmin had a food-radar and automatically knew when he was receiving more so he looked down at his plate then over at Yunho in confusion. Yunho just shrugged back with a sheepish smile on his face, hoping Changmin liked his little bribe. ‘Be happy and I’ll give you more food,’ Yunho tried to communicate with his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that in most chapters you can tell who the next perspective is going to be but once in a while, there's a chapter where it's a little open-ended. Would it be cool if I said something in the author's note to mark the chapter as one of those and then the first person to guess the next perspective right would get to add a little something they want to the story? Or would that be lame and a lot of work? Let me know~
> 
> Also, I too vehemently protest whenever Yunho's on a diet. That man is perfect just the way he is :)


	7. Changmin

Changmin really hated when Yunho tried to put entire conversations into one glance. Yes, he loved the man, and yes, Changmin could read Yunho better than most people but that did not mean he could transcribe Yunho’s intentions just from a look! But still, Yunho was offering food. Changmin never turned down food. 

Changmin knew he had been a little brat all morning for no reason but he didn’t think Yunho would still be stuck on it. Really, he should have known better. Yunho always tended to overreact when Changmin was involved. Not that Changmin really minded, he loved when Yunho pampered him but still, only Yunho would continue to be concerned over five hours later. Unless he was doing this because their stupid managers said Yunho needed to lose weight, in which case he would have to reaffirm to Yunho just how glorious his body was right now. Changmin frowned down at his lap a little at the thought of how their company treated Yunho’s body but a light touch to his clasped hands brought Changmin back to reality. 

Yunho was still looking at him expectedly and Changmin felt himself return the gesture with a gentle smile and then he began to eat again. Yunho was such a sincere and thoughtful person, how could Changmin possibly maintain his anger? As per usual, he was helpless against his lover. 

After lunch, the cast filmed one more mission, which consisted of making giant gingerbread houses, before breaking for the afternoon to resume the next day. Normally, Running Man filmed everything in one day but with the end-of-the-year specials, everyone had packed schedules and SBS compensated by having a two-part filming. Changmin and Yunho said a warm goodbye to everyone, knowing they would see them again tomorrow, before returning to their car to head over to the venue for the SBS Gayo. 

Changmin snuggled into Yunho’s side in the car, mentally preparing himself for the chaos that was about to ensue. He was feeling better now, thanks to Yunho, but that didn’t mean he was looking forward to the next couple hours. Changmin trusted Yunho to take care of him and followed Yunho closely to their dressing room when they arrived at their destination, sticking close to the older man. He heard his best friend, Kyuhyun, call out to him but Changmin kept his head down and didn’t respond, needing to collapse on a couch with Yunho before he was forced to socialize with the entire K-pop industry. Not even Kyuhyun’s fellow evil mind could compete with the comfort that Yunho’s presence gave Changmin and, at that moment, Changmin required that comfort more than anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to assume from the utter lack of response to the last chapter that no one wants to do the little guessing thing lol. That's fine :) 
> 
> Well, we're leaving Running Man now, to get to the bigger cluster of idols, so I'm sorry if you were looking forward to the other RM members. 
> 
> Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them <3


	8. Kyuhyun

Kyuhyun sighed to himself as he watched Changmin walk hastily away from him, firmly attached to Yunho’s side. He had been waiting anxiously for his best friend to get there and he had trusted Changmin to want to wreak havoc on their friends with him. Damn Yunho and Changmin’s love for him! Not that Kyuhyun blamed either men - Changmin still made lots of time for his friends - but everyone else was busy and Kyuhyun was getting bored by himself. Even the stylist noonas had left him to go gossip about the hottest idols there today. He couldn’t take hearing about T.O.P.’s good looks or Bang Yong Guk’s voice anymore. Kyuhyun wasn’t doing a collaboration performance at the SBS Gayo either so he had nothing to practice. It would be incredibly rude of him to rehearse his performance for KBS while in the SBS building. And tacky at that. Kyuhyun didn’t do tacky. 

Kyuhyun looked around himself with another deep and dramatic sigh while he evaluated the other idols he wasn’t familiar with around him. He could make new friends. Kyuhyun could be a charmer when he wanted to but none of these people were up to his standards; most of them were poser puppets who would never do anything to upset their manager, or worse, their label. Nothing exciting was going to happen with them.

Withdrawing his cell phone from his pocket, Kyuhyun texted the most unreserved person he knew; Jay Park. After they met on Immortal Songs, the two had quickly become friends and while they didn’t see each other often, there was never a boring moment with Jay. And in such a restrictive industry, unpredictable was just what Kyuhyun craved. Jay was like a breath of fresh air. 

{Wish you could be here} was all he sent. Short and sweet but he needed someone to talk to and he did sincerely wish Jay could participate in more mainstream programs. Maybe one day it would be possible, but it had been five years and Jay still wasn’t allowed on any program or event with 2PM, and sometimes even anyone of the JYP Nation. It was absolutely ridiculous in Kyuhyun’s opinion. If Jay could attend more filmings, the industry would be a hell of a lot less boring and scripted. 

Kyuhyun impatiently waited for Jay to reply, expecting a reply soon after the “1” disappeared on Kakao Talk but it didn’t come as quickly as he anticipated. Kyuhyun knew Jay had seen the message and he also happened to know that the soloist didn’t have any plans tonight, so why wasn’t Jay replying? In Kyuhyun’s opinion, patience was so not a virtue and waiting just wasn’t his specialty. The Super Junior vocalist began to bounce his knee as he felt time slow down and stretch infinitely while his phone didn’t chirp at him. This better be one hell of a long text, Kyuhyun thought to himself, or Jay’s gonna hear some choice words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Kyuhyun and Jay's relationship is adorable :) Thoughts? Comments? Don't be afraid to share~


	9. Jay

Jay’s phone buzzed next to him on the couch at home, three short vibrations signaling that he received a message on Kakao Talk. He looked down at the device, wondering if he actually wanted to talk with anyone right now. He really wasn’t in the mood to do anything. He promised his other idol friends he would watch all the Gayo broadcasts to see the special performances they were so excited about but that didn’t mean he was particularly happy about it. Many of the performances were the exact same as they had been the whole year and these things were always just full of problems. The mic and soundtrack problems were particularly annoying but sometimes they revealed who was lip-synching and who wasn’t, which could be interesting. In addition, he had to watch 2PM perform which, while not terrible, just wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience. Put it all together, and Jay wasn’t super excited about sitting through the three and a half hour show. 

Finally deciding it was worth the effort of raising his arm, Jay opened his cell to check the message. Jay smiled when he saw that it was Kyuhyun; the man’s snarky wit always made Jay laugh. His smile wilted a little when he saw the content of the message, however. 

{Wish you could be here} Yeah, he wished he could actually perform with everyone else too but hey, the world’s an imperfect place. 

While Kyuhyun’s message was sweet, a bit misguided but sweet, it only reminded Jay of why he couldn’t be there. It reminded him of everything he had lost. Most of the time, Jay was happy about his life and proud of everything he had achieved since his departure from 2PM but every once in a while, he pictured his boys and imagined what it would have been like it they had all stayed together. Watching Jun.K mature as a composer, and Chansung grow into his limbs, teaching Wooyoung and Junho more English so they could converse with Nickhkhun and Taecyeon. And Taecyeon… what would life have been like if they had stayed together? Not as a group, but the two of them as a couple. 

If the “incident” had never occurred, Jay had no doubt in his mind that they would still be together today. They were best friends first, then lovers, and that’s the best kind of love; when you know you can always be yourself with the other. But now, Jay didn’t think the damage was reversible. Of course he had thought about it a couple times, even found himself at the 2PM dorm once or twice, but he never acted on it, never knocked on the door. It was too late, too much time had passed. That didn’t mean Jay didn’t miss Taecyeon though; if anything, it made their memories bittersweet, knowing that the infinite potential of their love had been stunted by a few MySpace messages. 

Jay snuggled deeper into the couch and grabbed for his bag of popcorn and can of Monster before finally replying to the message that tossed his mind into turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, I wonder what 2PM would be like today if Jay's scandal had never happened. I support both parties as they are now but I'm still curious....
> 
> Thoughts? Comments? Don't be afraid to comment, I don't bite... unless you want me to ;P (that was terrible, I know)


	10. Kyuhyun

Finally, Kyuhyun’s phone made that cute little noise that drove him insane which meant he got a notification. Apparently, Jay had finally decided to grace him with a reply. Irritated, Kyuhyun opened the message only to feel all of his exasperation flood out of him when he saw the short sentences. 

{I do too. But unless we wanna give JYP a heart attack… Nah. We’d better not ;P} 

Kyuhyun knew how corrupt labels were; he knew about the dirty side of the industry and had experienced it for himself on multiple occasions. His own agency had a reputation for treating its artists like dirt and he knew that often, the artists had little say in their own affairs. Did that stop Kyuhyun from hating JYP and 2PM for what they did to Jay? Hell no, it did not. Jay gave them five years of his life and they still turned on him at the drop of a hat. Jay was a stronger, better person because of it but that didn’t forgive the guilty parties of their deeds. Jay rarely talked about the past but Kyuhyun reserved the right to make his own judgment. Jay was his friend and no one in JYP had that qualification so Kyuhyun would side with Jay in this issue, no matter what. 

Kyuhyun sent back a quick message, {I don’t think it would be that easy XP} before heading towards his dressing room. While he was waiting for Jay’s reply, more time had passed than he realized and it was about time for Ryeowook to arrive and Kyuhyun was sure Ryeowook would hang out with him. While the vocalist knew Kyuhyun was inherently mischievous, Ryeowook never failed to fall for all of Kyuhyun’s tricks, providing endless entertainment. Kangin had asked him about it one time, saying that the rest of them were immune to Kyuhyun at this point, and Ryeowook said that he just trusted Kyuhyun. That made the maknae feel guilty for about a millisecond before he started plotting again. 

En route to Super Junior’s assigned room, Kyuhyun passed two members of 2PM, Chansung and Junho. Now this wasn’t Kyuhyun’s first rodeo and he was always polite and charming on film but he held no such reservations when the cameras weren’t around. While Chansung and Junho bowed in greeting and called out, Kyuhyun glared and didn’t reciprocate. He knew he was being rude but he just couldn’t find it in himself to give a fuck. Jay certainly wouldn’t and Kyuhyun wanted to follow suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I do sometimes ship KyuWook, what of it? I adore Wookie, he's my baby :) 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated :) *kissies*


	11. Junho

Junho turned around as he and Chansung stopped to watch their sunbae strode away like he hadn’t just ignored one of the basic rules of Korean etiquette. 

“What the hell is his problem?” he asked Chansung as he felt his ire rise. Running through his immediate memory, Junho couldn’t think of anything he had done to piss off Kyuhyun. He concluded that the man was just being pissy and taking it out on his hoobaes who couldn’t do anything against him. 

“No clue,” Chansung shrugged. “Come on, let’s get back to our room before the stylist noonas freak out.”

“Sure, let’s go,” Junho replied as he turned from the hallway. A frazzled stylist noona was not something an idol ever wanted to see; it only preluded terrible things for the future. Junho and Chansung quickly found their room again, being well acquainted with all the main broadcast buildings.

“Where did you two go?” Jun.K-hyung called as they entered. They were both immediately pushed into plush chairs and set upon by the noonas. 

“We went to go get a couple Cokes,” Chansung replied as Junho was too busy being smothered by hairspray to answer. 

Before Jun.K could protest that they weren’t supposed to have pop before a performance, Junho quickly changed the subject. “We ran into Kyuhyun-sunbae on the way back.”

“Oh, did you say hi?” Having worked with him on a musical before, everyone knew Jun.K liked his acquaintance. 

“Yeah, but he was a total asshole,” Chansung jumped in, never one to stay quiet long.

“We bowed and everything but he just glared at us and stomped away,” Junho continued tattling.

“Really?” Wooyoung asked, confused. Kyuhyun had never been less than kind to any members of 2PM in the past. 

“Yep. Don’t know what the fuck his damage is but he was a douche,” Chansung confirmed. 

“Must be his time of the month,” Junho joked, ready to move on now that Jun.K had been successfully distracted from his health talk. The rest of the 2PM members laughed along and returned to damaging their skin with more makeup than most men ever see in their entire lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was actually going to post to a different story every ten chapters of this one, but I wasn't finished with the one-shot I had planned on. So here's chapter 11! Hopefully, the next chapter will be late because I will have posted that one-shot, but we'll see. It's pretty much PWP with Se7en, MC Boom, and Rain. After I found out they all went to the same high school, I couldn't get the idea out of my head. So check it out if you're interested :)


	12. Taecyeon

Taecyeon knew exactly what Kyuhyun’s problem was. The Super Junior maknae was well-known to be a friend of Jay’s and an event like this was sure to bring up some suppressed bitterness. The members of 2PM weren’t dumb; they knew Jay would never be invited to such things unless the broadcasting stations wanted to lose the support of JYP. Sometimes they felt guilty about it but there was nothing they could do anyway so usually they put it out of their minds. Taecyeon typically avoided anything that even slightly reminded him of their past leader but here, it was unavoidable. 

Taecyeon didn’t hold it against Kyuhyun, everyone should be free to live their own lives, but he didn’t have to take it out on Chansung and Junho. That was just unfair – but then, the whole situation was unfair, wasn’t it? He couldn’t help but miss his past lover and leader. How different their lives would have been if Jay’s controversy had never happened. Maybe, Taecyeon would have actually been happy then. Maybe then it wouldn’t feel like his entire life was a blur of enduring and surviving and enduring only to go back to sleep then start the cycle all over again. Most of the time, Taecyeon was just tired and wanted to go back to bed but other times he was incredibly angry; at life, at JYP, at Jay, at the world and everyone in it, it didn’t seem to matter. That was the extent of his emotional range: exhausted, pissed off, or faking it. And Taecyeon hated it but there was nothing else he could do. 

Taecyeon appraised his appearance in the mirror. He watched as his stylist tried to cover up the bags under his eyes with foundation; he took in the harsh way his jaw seemed to clench nowadays, and the cruel glint in his eyes that most fans mistook for passion. He didn’t used to look like this but it was his norm now and Taecyeon only foresaw more of the same in his future. Nothing changed, it seemed, not since Jay left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! This chapter is late because I updated a story (Yay!) but not the one I said I would (Boo). Instead of the Se7en/Rain/MC Boom story I promised, I updated my Song Shuffle story with a new chapter on Lee Joon/Seungho. So if you like that pairing, check it out!
> 
> Anywhoo, what did you think of this chapter? I finally introduced Taecyeon! Yay! But he's a wee bit darker than usual.... Thoughts?


	13. Nichkhun

Nichkhun could see Taecyeon’s helplessness from across the dressing room and it infuriated him. It had been five years since Jay left them and Taecyeon still hadn’t gotten over it. Oh, he didn’t think of Jay too often anymore and he didn’t wake in the middle of the night with body-jerking sobs but he hadn’t moved on either. Nichkhun had watched in silence as Taecyeon withdrew into himself, hoping Taecyeon would eventually allow his wounds to heal instead of fester but that day never came. Instead, Taecyeon changed for good. People think that moving on from a relationship means that you don’t think of that person anymore but Nichkhun knew that moving on meant being happy in your life without them and thinking on your memories together with fondness, not shame or guilt or sorrow. Taecyeon hadn’t done that and instead, Nichkhun had watched his friend twist and deform into a person that was barely recognizable from the first time they met. Nichkhun was ashamed of it, that he hadn’t stepped in to help his friend, but he was angrier at Taecyeon for allowing it to occur in the first place. 

That was honestly one of the biggest reasons Nichkhun had started looking into a serious relationship. In the past, Nichkhun had been all about keeping it casual but with the loss of Jay and Taecyeon (because the Taecyeon of the past was surely gone) and the growing tension in the house, Nichkhun had needed both a pillar of support and a reason to be out more often. He had gotten more than he expected with Tiffany; they fit together perfectly and he could honestly see them together with grey hair and a houseful of screaming grandchildren. It didn’t seem so stifling if it was with Tiffany. 

Disgusted with Taecyeon and his behavior, Nichkhun launched out of his chair the second the stylist noona gave him the green light. He needed to see Tiffany; she could make him forget what was happening to Taecyeon and the band. Wooyoung and Seulong were both experts at calming him down as well but no one had quite the effect that Tiffany did. When Nichkhun waved goodbye to his band members and Taecyeon didn’t even acknowledge his presence, Nichkhun felt all of his resentment pressing down on his lungs and he fled the room. Passing all the other artists without giving them any mind, Nichkhun made a beeline for where he knew Tiffany would be. Nothing mattered but getting to her, even paying due respect to sunbae artists. Tiffany would make it all better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think of Tiffany and Nichkhun's relationship? I kinda think it's cute myself


	14. Tablo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tablo's real name is Seonwoong and Taeyang's is Youngbae.

Seonwoong watched Nichkhun practically sprint past him with no greeting whatsoever. He didn’t really demand it from his juniors, especially the foreign ones, having spent so much time abroad, but he was used to at least a wave since he was one of the older acts currently promoting. He would have to teach Haru that although it wasn’t expected in other countries, she still had to bow to Korean artists, no matter what. Seonwoong wasn’t sure yet if Haru would be entering the industry but he had an inkling that she would from her star factor. He certainly didn’t want her to end up like those celebrities that just debuted but still think they’re the shit. In Seonwoong’s opinion, if you think you’re on the top, then there’s no more improvement to be made so you might as well move on to a new mountain. 

Thinking of Haru reminded Seonwoong that he should probably figure out where his little girl had gotten off to. He trusted his YG family to watch over her – well, he trusted some of them – but he wanted to have her with him for at least an hour before he had to go onstage. Epik High’s performance was right about in the middle, more towards the end than the middle but still the gray range. Figuring that Youngbae was probably watching over her, Seonwoong headed to the Big Bang dressing room. The Big Bang vocalist adored Haru and Seonwoong had no problem envisioning Youngbae with a bunch of kids in a couple years. Unfortunately for Youngbae, Haru seemed more taken with G-Dragon at the moment but she never forgot her Taeyang-oppa. 

“What’s this?” Seonwoong heard Youngbae ask as he approached their location. 

“That’s my nose silly!” Haru cried back, giggling at Youngbae’s silliness. Seonwoong felt a little smile creep onto his face at his daughter’s adorableness and his own accuracy at where she would be. He rounded the corner and saw Youngbae kneeling in front of Haru.

“I got your nose!” Youngbae gasped exaggeratedly as he pretended to hide Haru’s nose in his palm.

“No you don’t, it’s right here,” Haru shook her head and placed her hands on her nose, reaffirming its continued existence. 

“I don’t see anything there,” Youngbae replied. 

“Oh my god, Haru, where’d your nose go?” Seonwoong decided to play along as he rushed over to his daughter. 

“It’s not there?” she screeched. Seonwoong shook his head solemnly. “Taeyang oppa took it! Give my nose back!” Haru hit Youngbae with her tiny fists, desperate to get her face back to normal. 

“Only for a price,” Youngbae replied, smirking. 

“What price?” Haru asked, skeptical. She had learned the hard way not to trust the Big Bang oppas. 

“I want a kiss on the cheek,” Youngbae responded. 

“And then you’ll give my nose back?” Haru confirmed, worried about how long her nose would survive without being attached to her. When Youngbae nodded, Haru darted in for a quick peck but not before Seonwoong caught in on camera. 

“Okay, little lady, here you go, here’s your nose back.” Haru clutched her hands to her face and dashed into her father’s arms so Youngbae wouldn’t have the opportunity to snatch it again. Both Seonwoong and Youngbae laughed at her innocence and Seonwoong stood up with her still in his arms. 

“I think I’m going to steal her away for a little bit, Youngbae, before I go on.”

“Okay, hyung, have fun!” Youngbae waved to the pair as they walked away but Haru only glared at him as she continued to protect her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we finally get the appearance of Taeyang! How adorable is he with Haru, though?


	15. T.O.P.

Finally! Finally, Youngbae didn’t have Haru anymore. Stalking up to his lover, Seunghyun kicked the door shut, leaving the pair in the room by themselves. For one reason or another, everyone else had left to go socialize or whatever they will. Seunghyun slipped his arms around the shorter man, sighing in relief at finally being able to hold that familiar body against his own. Seunghyun didn’t have the same soft spot for Haru that Youngbae did but he also had nothing against the girl, except when she was keeping him from Youngbae. 

The man in question leaned back into Seunghyun’s arms and laughed quietly. “Couldn’t wait to get rid of her?” he asked Seunghyun.

“Couldn’t wait to get you alone,” Seunghyun retorted, squeezing his clasped arms a little tighter in emphasis. 

“You’ll have me alone all of tonight,” Youngbae replied, turning in Seunghyun’s arms to press their chests together. 

Seunghyun smirked as he remembered that Youngbae was coming home with him after the show. “Damn right I will,” he smirked before leaning down to kiss Youngbae. Letting his hands roam, Seunghyun could feel the hard effort of Youngbae’s work-outs in the firm muscles of his chest. Youngbae moaned into Seunghyun’s lips but pulled away before things could get heated. 

“The stylist noonas will murder us if we mess up our makeup again,” he reminded his taller lover. Seunghyun groaned in exasperation but refused to allow Youngbae to leave his embrace. The rapper was not a huge fan of such large gatherings of idols and he didn’t appreciate the army of cameras ready to zoom in on a drop of sweat on his brow. Yes, he was an actor and used to camera crews but his two occupations were completely different and Seunghyun wasn’t as comfortable in this one as the public would think. Youngbae didn’t try to pull away, knowing what was running through Seunghyun’s mind, and instead ran his hands up and down Seunghyun’s arms in a comforting gesture. Seunghyun let his lover take care of him and silence held reign in the room as the pair simply stood there, enjoying each other’s presence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly feel like T.O.P. doesn't feel 100% comfortable on stage. There's a part of me that suspects that he prefers acting to rapping.


	16. Taeyang

Youngbae took deep breathes as he appreciated the last moments of calm he would most likely get before the night was up. He lived for the stage and for music but end of the year shows were always hella hectic. He had a ballad with Ailee and a dance battle coming up later with Yunho, Eunhyuk, Hoya, and U-Kwon before Big Bang’s ending performance. He was enormously excited to just dance and show off his moves in the battle and he thought Ailee was an extremely sweet girl with a bombshell voice but two extra performances were sure to wear him out. He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to agree to two collaborations but he was passionate about both areas so he had thought he could handle it. Yeah, that had been a bad life decision. 

Finally gathering the will to move, Youngbae withdrew from Seunghyun’s arms, smiling when his lover grumbled down at him. 

“Back to the real world already?” Seunghyun asked.

“Unfortunately. But hey, we’ll be all done in a couple hours then we can go home,” Youngbae reminded the other man. 

“I like the sound of that,” Seunghyun said as he leaned in for another heated make out session. 

“No way, we don’t have time for that,” Youngbae reprimanded as he pushed Seunghyun away. 

Seunghyun checked the clock in confusion before turning back to the vocalist. “Umm, unless that clock is wrong, we have at least forty-five minutes until my rap collaboration.”

“Yeah, but Jiyoung’s Remember Sewol performance with Minah, Jieun, and Seungho is only the third performance of the night. We have to find him and get him backstage in about five minutes.”

“What makes you think he won’t get there himself?” Seunghyun asked with one raised eyebrow. Youngbae just stared back at him with an incredulous look. Seunghyun sighed and Youngbae knew he had won. “Fine, but I’m not helping you look.”

“Sounds good to me,” Youngbae answered. “You suck at finding anything anyway.” Youngbae smirked as Seunghyun tried to hide his rumpled feathers so he leaned in for a quick reassurance kiss before he departed. 

“Love you,” Seunghyun whispered out against the shorter man’s lips. 

“Me too but you know we can’t say that here,” Youngbae replied, just as quietly. 

“Like we were being careful earlier.” 

Youngbae admitted that stealth had not been the first thing on his mind when Seunghyun first drew him into his arms but still, he wasn’t going to say it out loud. “Whatever, I’ll be back just as soon as I find Jiyoung.” Youngbae waved a hand behind him as he left the room before Seunghyun could distract him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How awesome would those collaborations be? Like, for real?


	17. T.O.P.

Seunghyun watched the door close in front of him, signaling his lover’s departure. Yes, he could survive on his own but it hurt his pride that Youngbae had left him for Jiyoung. To go find the leader and save the reputation of Big Bang but still, jealousy wasn’t exactly logical. Seunghyun was not an extremely possessive person but Jiyoung had always been a sore spot for him. Moving back to the couch in the center of the room, Seunghyun let himself contemplate the threesome’s past.

Seunghyun and Jiyoung had been best friends since they were babies so when Jiyoung joined YG and began spending all of his time there, training, Seunghyun naturally started feeling left out. So he auditioned for the label, to try and follow his friend. When he was told that his weight would be an issue as an idol, Seunghyun worked out endlessly for six months until he felt confident enough to try out again. That time, he made it into the company and Seunghyun had thought he would be able to be around Jiyoung more again. That’s when Seunghyun realized that it wasn’t just the label taking up all of Jiyoung’s attention; it was this twerp Youngbae. Jiyoung had replaced him and now had a new best friend. Seunghyun hated Youngbae a couple months until hanging around Jiyoung enough forced them to get to know each other. Seunghyun quickly discovered that Youngbae was incredibly sweet and kind and he himself fell under the same spell as Jiyoung. But he was never as close to Youngbae as Jiyoung was. In fact, Youngbae’s first time was with Jiyoung (which was an endless insult to Seunghyun’s jealousy). The two weren’t in a romantic relationship; they were just experimenting on each other in an age where bodies were gangly and awkward. 

Soon after Big Bang’s debut, however, Jiyoung started getting into drugs, the hard core ones, not just marijuana. Seunghyun and Youngbae spent endless nights dragging Jiyoung back to their dorm and thousands of hours trying to convince him to quit. Seunghyun would never thank the man for his addiction, but it was all those years and the stress from the situation that pushed Youngbae and Seunghyun together. They grew to depend on each other, to know when the other was exhausted or ready to throw in the towel. But one night, the pressure got to Youngbae and he collapsed into Seunghyun’s arms, no longer able to deal with wondering if his best friend was going to die from an overdose every night. Seunghyun had stroked Youngbae’s back as he trembled and promised right then and there that he would be whatever necessary to protect Youngbae from this hurt again. 

The next day, the pair got Jiyoung into a rehabilitation program and spent the following months exploring their relationship. When Jiyoung was released after four months, he mostly abandoned his habit after discovering how close he came to flat-lining during the withdrawal. He gave the pair his full support but Seunghyun was too disillusioned about his friend for them to ever be as close as before. Now, Jiyoung only smoked a joint right before a performance, although he still slept around and partied until regular people were going to work. Youngbae, however, never lost his sense of responsibility for Jiyoung, or the rest of the Big Bang members for that matter, and continued to watch over them. It was complicated, Seunghyun knew, but it got him Youngbae so he didn’t care. 

But it still hurt when Youngbae turned away from him to Jiyoung. It was too reminiscent of Jiyoung and YG but now there was more on the line. Seunghyun wasn’t dumb; he could easily imagine a reality where Jiyoung and Youngbae were together instead of him and Youngbae. And that scared him more than anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm not saying Jiyoung is into hard-core drugs but I honestly think this scenario is entirely possible. And yes, I had to throw that little nod to GDYB because those two are so incredibly close, it would shock me if at least one of this wasn't in love with the other.


	18. Taeyang

God damn it, where could he be? Youngbae thought to himself as he searched all the closets and stairways that Jiyoung could possibly be hiding in. Jiyoung didn’t usually go too far when he knew he had a performance coming up but Youngbae couldn’t find him in any of his usual hang-outs. The search would have gone so much faster if two people were looking but Seunghyun held some grudge against his childhood friend for all the shit he had put them through. Youngbae understood it but what he didn’t understand was why Seunghyun couldn’t just help out every once in a while. He used to but after Jiyoung was released from rehab, Seunghyun had discontinued all his efforts to help Jiyoung in anything related to drugs. 

When he could think of nowhere else, Youngbae headed to the door to the back alley behind the SBS building. Jiyoung had promised to stop risking citizens witnessing his less than legal dealings – there were more people in the industry that had dabbled in drugs at one point than people who hadn’t so celebrities mostly left it alone – but this wouldn’t be the first time Jiyoung had broken a promise to Youngbae. 

Youngbae hit the metal door in front of him open with more force than necessary but they were running out of time to get Jiyoung to the stage. The metal frame hit the brick wall behind it while an ugly noise that quickly caught the attention of the hunched-over man against the opposite wall. 

“Yah! Whater ya doin? Keepit fuckin down,” Jiyoung cried, his words slurring in a way that told Youngbae his pulse had dramatically decreased. Marijuana was relatively safe compared to what Jiyoung had done before but it was still dangerous in large doses. And Jiyoung had this dangerous habit of combining it with other drugs. He called it his “mystery mix.”

“How much have you done, Jiyoung?” Youngbae demanded as he yanked the joint out of Jiyoung’s hand, crushing the remnants underneath his boot. “And how many different drugs were in there?”

Jiyoung giggled, a light airy sound that sent anger, fear, and frustration through Youngbae’s veins. “I don’t know,” he confessed.

“For God’s sake, Jiyoung, what are we supposed to do with you?” Youngbae asked as he ran his hand through his hair in a nervous habit. He knew Jiyoung didn’t have the answer but he needed time to think. “You can’t perform like this.”

“Yesh, I can. Jus give me ma sunglassez, it’ll be fine,” Jiyoung replied, waving his hand around like Captain Jack Sparrow. 

“That might work for our group performance in a couple hours, if you hydrate a lot and try to nap it off,” Youngbae answered. Big Bang would be fine but what about the Remember Sewol act? He couldn’t let Jiyoung do that; it’d be dangerous, unprofessional, and disrespectful. “First things first, we gotta get you back to the dressing room before anyone sees you.” Youngbae pushed open the door again as he debated his options. He could easily carry Jiyoung but it would look hella suspicious. That’s when he spotted Chaerin passing by and thought he had found his savior. 

“Chaerin-ah! Can you come here for a moment?”


	19. CL

“Yes oppa? Is something wrong?” Chaerin walked over to the alleyway, wondering what the hell Youngbae was doing out in the dark. When she stepped out in the street, he closed the door behind her, increasing her suspicions. 

“Jiyoung, again,” Youngbae explained, gesturing at the man in question. 

“Oh shit, he can’t perform now,” Chaerin replied with a gasp. 

“I know.”

“But the Remember Sewol group is going on in like two minutes.”

“I know.”

“Seungho’s been looking all over for him and Jieun and Minah are starting to panic.”

“I know.”

There was a moment of silence as Chaerin pondered her new information and took in the defeated look of her favorite Big Bang oppa in front of her. 

“I could do it.”

“What?”

“I know the lyrics and it’s all rapping anyway. I’m not in my outfit for my performance either. I can do this.” Chaerin watched Youngbae look up with hope in his eyes and knew she had done the right thing. Later, when Jiyoung was more aware, she’d kick his ass for doing this to Youngbae over and over again but for now, this is what she could do. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Positive. Now, how do we move him? We need to move quickly before I have to go check in as his replacement.” Chaerin took charge naturally, used to it as 2NE1’s leader but also accustomed to Youngbae’s behavior towards Jiyoung. 

“I can carry him and tell everyone he fainted. That’ll explain his absence and then his re-appearance in a couple hours. You just go and make sure you rock that rap.” Chaerin nodded but helped Youngbae load Jiyoung on his back before holding the door open for them to slip through. 

“Oh my God, I can’t believe Jiyoung oppa fainted like that!” She started the second they got through the door, being as loud as she could without shouting. Word traveled via the grape vine faster than anything. Youngbae caught on instantly, smart as ever. 

“I know! He hasn’t been eating well lately so maybe he’s just exhausted. I’m going to go put him down to sleep in our dressing room.” Chaerin nodded sympathetically, noticing their now quite large audience as they moved through the halls. “Chaerin-ah, I know it’s an inconvenience, but would you mind taking his place on stage for now? I don’t think he’ll be awake for a couple hours.”

“Sure oppa! I know the lyrics and everything!” Chaerin knew it was cheesy as hell but both she and Youngbae weren’t the best actors so they’d have to go with it. 

“Okay, you’d better hurry up or you’ll miss the performance!” Youngbae gestured frantically to the stage door and Chaerin dashed in, turning only to make sure Youngbae successfully got to the dressing room. She smiled gently at Youngbae before turning back to the stage crew and informing them that CL would be taking G-Dragon’s place. They weren’t happy at the sudden and un-rehearsed change but could do nothing when told about poor Jiyoung’s condition. Chaerin greeted Seungho, Minah, and Jieun and put on her best professional face so that she wouldn’t let Youngbae down. Her friend had been through enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For real, CL and Taeyang are the cutest combination ever. I don't really ship them (well, much) but they're so damn adorable together! Holy shit, they should make a sub unit. I would die.


	20. Jonghyun

Damn. CL was performing the Remember Sewol number. Jonghyun had wanted to catch her before his group-swap number with Infinite. He had consulted the schedule for when 2NE1 performed and compared it against SHINee’s main performance and their Infinite cover routine. The very beginning of the evening was the only time he had to approach her. Jonghyun had thought CL was very lovely for a long time now and he had been waiting his time to finally talk to her in person. Knowing that YG artists didn’t have too many friends in the industry outside of their own label, Jonghyun figured she’d be a little awkward but he was confident that he could make her feel comfortable after a while. Unfortunately, he had heard from Minho that G-Dragon sunbae had fainted and she had offered to take his place. 

Jonghyun watched about half of her performance before he left to go find Jinki. The leader knew how forgetful he was and had asked Jonghyun to come get him so they could prepare for their Infinite number. Jonghyun was a little dejected about not talking to CL. Again. But hey, he would catch her in the future and he needed to focus on remembering Sunggyu and Sungyeol’s lyrics. Jonghyun wasn’t 100% certain where Jinki would be but he had an inkling and headed towards the lobby where most of the socializing artists were. 

Sure enough, just as he was turning into the large lobby, he heard the unique laugh that could only belong to Jinki. Grinning at his own intellect, Jonghyun entered the space to see Jinki and Lee Joon hanging out together. Those two had gotten pretty close a couple years ago but they didn’t see each other very often because of their busy schedules. Checking his watch, Jonghyun decided he could give the pair a few extra minutes before he pulled Jinki away. There were some beautiful ladies from Rainbow smiling at him over there anyway. Jinki would be fine if they just stayed a little longer….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is entirely based off this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O-mLdJDx9U in which Jonghyun calls CL pretty around the 0:45 mark and now I just have this image of him with a crush on her. And who the hell wouldn't?
> 
> So... do you guys think I'm going to put Onew and Lee Joon together or are they going to be straight or are they with other people? Well, it'll be a bit before you guys find out because I finally finished that Rain/Se7en/MC Boom story so I'll be posting that next instead of chapter 21. Forgive me, but I'm uber excited about the oneshot :)


	21. Lee Joon

You have got to be kidding me, Changsun thought to himself. He had seen Jonghyun walk in and thought he had finally been saved but no, the man had gotten distracted by beautiful women. Damn his hormones! Changsun turned back to Jinki, listening enough to nod in all the right places but not really paying attention. 

Now, Changsun was aware that he was the one who started their friendship but it had become awkward. When Changsun first got close to Jinki, he was between partners and had actually been flirting with the SHINee leader. Soon enough though, Changsun came to his senses and gathered enough courage to ask Seungho what he thought of him. His leader had stared at him like he was insane and tackled him to the ground, kissing Changsun like he had held himself back for years. Since then, Changsun had tried to back off Jinki a little. The man had never returned his affections, being ridiculously clueless, and Changsun didn’t really have an interest in him as a friend, as terrible as that sounded. Unfortunately for Changsun, Jinki had figured it out afterwards and had since aggressively flirted with Changsun on every occasion. Changsun wasn’t willing to share that he was with Seungho – he didn’t trust anyone in SM with that information because of the managers – so he could do nothing but try to politely discourage Jinki’s actions. As of yet, his plan wasn’t working well and Seungho had developed a deep dislike for Jinki that he didn’t hesitate to voice to Changsun.

“Are you listening to me?” Changsun suddenly heard Jinki say in an irritated voice. 

“Yes, Jinki, of course. You were just saying how badly you wanted to visit Pyeongchang and go snowboarding,” Changsun replied, snapping his full attention back to Jinki. It was just like in school, when teachers asked you to repeat their last sentence to prove you weren’t asleep. 

“Exactly. The only problem is that no one wants to come with me.” Jinki leaned closer to Changsun. “Do you like snowboarding?”

Changsun tried to tilt his body further away without being obvious but he couldn’t do much without stepping back and being rude. “I don’t own a snowboard.”

“That’s okay, I have seven, all custom paint jobs. We could rent a little cabin, just the two of us, and get one of those real fireplaces….” Changsun started to tune out again as Jinki described a stereotypical couple outing. Holding a deep sigh in, Changsun looked around the lobby again in hopes that Seungho had returned from his Remember Sewol performance. He should have been done by now so where the heck was he? After five more minutes of Jinki trying to ask Changsun on a date, Changsun had enough. He hated to do this, be weak and call for help, but he needed a rescue before he let their secret out. Pulling his phone from his pocket, Changsun sent a quick text to Seungho.

{Lobby. Onew.}

Changsun knew his lover would come and he could only hope Seungho would be speedy about it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Put Lee Joon and Onew together? Naw, I could never betray SeungJoon/JoonHo so easily. (I'm also trying not to discuss in length why I first fell in love with SeungJoon but it's difficult and I might concede later lol) Thoughts?


	22. Seungho

When Seungho’s phone buzzed in his pocket, he grabbed it immediately, much to the disapproval of Byunghee. The two main singers of MBLAQ had been going over vocal warm ups for Byunghee and vocal stretching for Seungho. They had to keep their vocal chords warm and pliable for them to hit their high notes. Seungho had already performed but he told Byunghee that he’d join him anyway. Even when his phone was on vibrate, however, he had a special tone for Changsun so he knew it was his lover that had sent him the text. Opening the message, Seungho felt his jaw clench and his teeth grind. 

“I gotta go,” Seungho said, knowing the other would not be pleased. 

“Why? Did something happen?” Byunghee asked, a little worried. 

“Yeah, that punk, Onew, is all over Changsun again,” Seungho replied, trying to expedite the conversation. 

“Why can’t Changsun get himself away? You know, maybe he just wants both of your attention. He is a big boy, you know, if he wanted, he could just walk away.” Seungho knew Byunghee had a little crush on him, had for years, but Seungho was really getting tired of the other man trying to poison him against Changsun. Taking in a breath to start telling Byunghee off, Seungho let it out again as he remembered that this was neither the time nor the place. Seungho could talk to Byunghee later but for now, he had to go help Changsun. 

“Some of us can’t do everything alone. Changsun’s just too kind to blatantly reject Onew.” With that, Seungho left the MBLAQ dressing room, trying to ignore the snort that had followed his parting statement. He would have to deal with that growing tension later at home, before it got between the group because he sure as hell wasn’t leaving Changsun for anything in the world. He had never told his lover, but Seungho had been in love with Changsun for about four years before the man had even indicated an interest. Three years, seven months, and twenty nine days to be exact, not that Seungho was counting. Marching down to the lobby, Seungho promised himself that he wouldn’t let any force in this world take him away from Changsun; not Byunghee and certainly not Onew. 

Entering the large gathering place, Seungho spotted Changsun almost instantly. He liked to call it his Changsun-Sense, developed after so many years of watching the other man to try and protect him from… well, everything really. Seungho felt a rumbling growl escape his lips unbidden when he realized that Onew practically had Changsun trapped against a wall. He had crossed the room before he realized and both men turned to him expectantly, one eager and one irritated. 

“We need to go practice.” Yeah, not the most original, Seungho knew, but he had forgotten that he needed an actual excuse. 

“Now?” Onew asked with an annoyed, incredulous look on his face. From his new angle, Seungho could see that Onew’s chest was about three inches away from Changsun’s and that broke any mandatory social conventions Seungho normally followed.

“Yep,” Seungho replied, grabbing Changsun by the arm. “Right now.” Seungho rushed out of the room with Changsun’s bicep firmly grasped in his hand. He made it all the way back to their assigned dressing room before he pushed Changsun in and slammed the door behind them. Turning around, all of Seungho’s anger left him as he took in the adoring look in Changsun’s eyes. Yes, he was pissed, but that was no reason to take it out on his lover, Seungho reminded himself. 

“Thanks baby,” Changsun said, grabbing Seungho’s hand and stroking it. He then turned around with a slight smirk and led Seungho by the same hand to the couch where Seungho was pushed to a sitting position and Changsun seated himself on Seungho’s lap. 

“Anytime,” Seungho replied as he tilted his head up to gently connect their lips. There was a gagging noise coming from Byunghee on the other side of the room but Seungho was too focused on Changsun to care. He was so freaking whipped, it wasn’t even funny, but Seungho found that he didn’t give a damn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone want to guess who's next? It's not someone who's been introduced yet and she's a girl.... Good Luck!


	23. HyunA

HyunA watched Seungho practically manhandle Changsun out of the room and pouted to herself. She and Changsun had gotten close during Bubble Pop but, after the dating scandal, the two had decided not hang out so much. That had been years ago and HyunA wanted to try and rekindle their friendship, and possibly see if it could be something more. Both of them were bisexual, one of their many things in common, so she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Changsun was with Seungho now. If they weren’t though, HyunA knew she and Changsun would make such a power couple: their chemistry was already flawless, and just think of the threesome potential. 

Changsun was practically the incarnation of her ideal type so HyunA wasn’t about to give up her efforts to start up where they left off. In the event that Changsun was already taken, Hyuna would be sad but honestly, she was so fond of Changsun, she would be happy just being friends as well. 4Minute didn’t socialize often outside of their group so she had been looking forward to seeing Changsun again, no matter if he was attached or not. 

Reminding herself that tomorrow was another day and she did have Changun’s phone number anyway, HyunA headed off with a clear head to find Hyunseung. Although Troublemaker hadn’t released a single this year, both 4Minute and Beast had so the two of them were doing a special mash-up performance of Now and Troublemaker. Since she had been planning on chatting with Changsun for a while, HyunA had nothing to do but practice with Hyunseung. 

With a quick glance around, HyunA asserted that Hyunseung wasn’t in the lobby and skipped off to go find him. Why be sad when you could choose to be happy? That was HyunA’s outlook on life and she wasn’t going to let anything little get her down. HyunA wandered the halls, trying to find Hyunseung and bowing to everyone she passed. She finally spotted her partner in crime talking to Taeyang and she came to a halt as she debated interrupting the old friends. She knew Hyunseung was almost a part of Big Bang and that the two still kept in contact so she hated to drag Hyunseung away. But HyunA was bored and had nothing else to do! Strengthening her resolve, HyunA strode up to the pair and grabbed Hyunseung’s arm. 

“Sorry to interrupt, but do you mind if I steal him away?” she asked Taeyang, making sure to look a little extra cute. 

“No problem,” Taeyang replied, with a smile that curved his eyes. HyunA grinned back and slightly regretted leaving Taeyang behind as she turned to leave with Hyunseung. She had never realized how cute the man was before. Glancing back at him one more time, HyunA grinned as she led Hyunseung to a practice room. Things always looked up if you were just determined to be happy. 

“He’s so adorable,” she told Hyunseung. The Beast vocalist was bisexual as well, although mostly interested in men, so they discussed all potential lovers. She wasn’t very interested in Hyunseung as a romantic partner but they shared a heated night here and there – often with guests. 

“Maybe I’ll introduce you guys one day,” Hyunseung smirked back, seemingly knowing exactly what his friend was thinking. Threesome, here they come!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so how hot are Lee Joon and HyunA together? Honestly, I ship it so hard. I ship Lee Joon with a lot of people lol. And a Taeyang, Hyunseung, HyunA threesome? I might have to write. Or maybe not. But the idea's still hot.


	24. Taeyang

And he was alone again. Youngbae had gotten back to the dressing room with Jiyoung to find Seunghyun gone, probably off memorizing a script somewhere or something. After a couple minutes of playing on his phone with an unconscious Jiyoung in the room, Youngbae had gotten fed up and went out to plunder the halls. He figured he would find someone he knew to talk to and sure enough, Youngbae ran into Hyunseung. It had been a while since they last saw each other and they had a lot of catching up to do. But then HyunA came. Youngbae didn’t have anything against the girl, in fact, she was rather adorable, but she had taken Hyunseung away. And so, Youngbae was left by himself again. It sucked.

Checking his phone so he wouldn’t look so lonely, Youngbae saw that he had gotten a message from Hyunseung promising that they’d get together next week to continue their talk. Youngbae smiled down at his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. Well, it was back to wandering, it seemed. He would find friends again. Youngbae never understood it, but it seemed that a lot of the junior artists were afraid to speak to him. Maybe it was because Big Bang was a big name in the industry but they were still people, right? Either way, Youngbae knew he was too hesitant to approach the hoobaes first. He wasn’t exactly a shy person but he usually had to warm up to new people. After about ten minutes of walking around listlessly and looking like an idiot (in Youngbae’s opinion), he finally flopped down on a random couch. He was in another community room but there weren’t as many people in it as the lobby. Turning back to his phone so he wouldn’t look like such a loner, Youngbae was surprised to feel a weight compress the cushion next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who could it be? This mysterious person who sits next to Taeyang? Can you help me guess this mystery?


	25. Yunho

Yunho couldn’t just let Taeyang sit there; it was too cruel and the man was too sweet. After a while of cuddling, Changmin had decided that he should probably go hang out with Kyuhyun before the man started plotting their murder for ignoring him. Yunho had agreed, valuing his life, and went off to go talk with his Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, and SHINee label-mates. He had been chatting with Jessica and Heechul when he noticed Taeyang walk into the room. The man clearly knew no one there and quickly retreated to a couch. Well, Yunho didn’t know Taeyang very well but he couldn’t leave him there either so he strode over and sat down next to the Big Bang member. 

Taeyang looked up at him, startled, and Yunho realized that he had no idea what to say to the man. The two of them hadn’t had an actual conversation since Taeyang and Junsu had that piano battle so many years ago. Oh, awkward. Yunho knew nothing about Taeyang that didn’t surround Junsu. 

“Hello, sunbae.” Oh, good, Taeyang had started the conversation. 

“Hey, Taeyang-ah.” Oh yes, Yunho was a master of speech. Normally, he was so much more charming than this but Yunho just felt awkward and uncomfortable. 

“What’cha doing, sunbae?” 

“Oh, please, call my hyung. Sunbae is too formal.” Maybe using informalities would help diffuse the tension. 

“What’cha doing, hyung?” Or not.

“You just looked a little lonely so I thought I’d join you.” Yunho upheld that honesty was the best policy, in most cases. That had gotten him into a little trouble with Changmin… but hey, they were still together so it couldn’t be too bad.

Taeyang sighed and put his head in his hands. “Yeah, have you noticed how terrified the juniors seem of Big Bang?”

Yunho laughed out loud at that. “You’re not alone there. I think they’re afraid of all of the older groups, especially the ones with large fan bases.”

Taeyang quietly giggled too, to Yunho’s relief. “That’s true. They don’t want to be destroyed by our fans, bless their hearts.”

“I’m pretty sure our fans would fight a war for us, if it came to that,” Yunho joked back, half serious. 

Taeyang visibly relaxed back into the cushions of the couch, chuckling lightly. “So Seunghyun-hyung has been practicing his lines constantly; English isn’t quite his thing. You ready for your rap collab performance?”

Yunho took a moment to remember that T.O.P.’s real name was Seunghyun then grinned that he wasn’t the only one regretting that the SBS staff had picked an English song. “No.” They both laughed, a smooth sound that seemed to permeate the room. “English is so difficult!” Yunho whined, throwing his arms out and pouting. Taeyang shook his head at Yunho’s sudden aegyo. 

“Well, I’d help you guys but I was having too much fun teasing Seunghyun-hyung about his English so I can’t leave him hanging and help you.” Yunho vaguely recalled hearing that Taeyang spoke English rather well. 

“Yes you can!” Yunho draped himself over Taeyang’s lap. “Come on, just a couple hints.”

Taeyang chuckled and tried to evacuate Yunho from his lap but Yunho was having none of it. “Hyung! Get off! It’s not like the fans speak English anyway!”

“But we have international fans too! Come on, Taeyang, my smart dongsaeng, you don’t want your cute hyung to look dumb do you?” Yunho knew he was taking his antics a little far but Taeyang was laughing so what the hell?


	26. Changmin

And Yunho was flirting again. For Buddha’s sake, the man flirted with everyone. Changmin had just returned from a successful world domination planning meeting with Kyuhyun to find Yunho literally in Taeyang’s lap. In his lap! Yunho insisted that he didn’t flirt with anyone except Changmin but his natural personality was far too touchy-feely for Changmin’s comfort. Yeah, sure, this was Taeyang they were talking about and the man seemed harmless but Changmin didn’t know him personally. The man could be a rapist for all they knew! Or have a secret crush on Yunho! Damn it all to hell, Yunho. Changmin knew his partner was super friendly, but really? In another man’s lap? If Changmin had done that, you could bet that Yunho wouldn’t take it well and Changmin would end up with hand prints on his ass and bite marks creeping up his collarbone!

Snarling under his breath, Changmin scanned the slightly less busy room. If Yunho was going to hang all over someone else, then Changmin was sure as hell going to do the same thing. A little voice in the back of Changmin’s head told him he just wanted the punishment that was sure to follow but Changmin whipped that voice down in the same fashion Yunho sometimes used with his riding crop. Changmin spotted mostly SM artists, whom he refused to flirt with and ruin their relationship, but then he saw a couple TS and Cube artists. Perfect… Sunhwa rubbed Yunho like one too many Sour Patch Kids. She was sure to piss Yunho off. That was, if he could remove himself from Taeyang’s lap long enough to notice. 

Changmin strode purposefully over to the Secret members, putting his best smile on. “Hey guys,” he greeted casually before turning to Sunhwa. “How’ve you been, Sunhwa?”

The poor girl blush fiercely, flustered at the sudden attention it seemed. Changmin smirked; that’s what you get when you publicly announce on TV that you like someone, he thought to himself. Really, how was he expected to not use it against her? Sunhwa cleared her throat, apparently getting herself under control. 

“I’ve been good, oppa. You know, a little lonely, but good.” Laying it on thick, Changmin thought, trying not to snort. The girl was so barking up the wrong tree, or rather, climbing the wrong tree. 

“Really? But you have so many people around you?” Changmin retorted.

Sunhwa laughed, hitting Changmin’s arm like he had just said the funniest thing since the invention of the knock-knock joke. It wasn’t even that funny. Or funny at all, Changmin thought. 

“But oppa, you know that’s not the same thing,” Sunhwa replied, still giggling. Changmin turned around to glance at Yunho to see if he had noticed the shrill sound but found his lover still engaged with Taeyang. And with a hand on his forearm, at that! Well, Changmin would just have to try harder, it seemed.


	27. Sunhwa

Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, Changmin was talking to Sunhwa. In front of all of her members, he was only talking to her, and her alone. Sunhwa had waited for this moment; the moment that Changmin realized she was perfect for him. Hyosung and Hana had told her that it was never going to happen and to forget their wedding plans, but Sunhwa knew. She had known that he would finally turn to her. 

“Well, maybe I can help you out with the loneliness part,” Changmin said, quite literally making her heart race. If Sunhwa’s heart could beat any faster, she would likely have a heart attack, which would just be embarrassing in front of her future husband. Not only was Changmin talking to her, he was flirting with her! Hell yes, Christmas just arrived early for Sunhwa and Santa was looking much hotter than usual.

“Yeah? Do you want to maybe get coffee or hang out sometime?” Sunhwa asked, boldly asking him out. This was her chance and she would be damned if she let it go. 

“We’ll see what happens,” Changmin replied, with a sexy wink. Shit! He hadn’t committed to anything! But that wink must mean something, right? 

“I guess we will then,” Sunhwa answered. “Is that your outfit for TVXQ’s performance? It looks so good on you!” She was well aware that it was not his stage outfit. 

“Oh this?” Changmin looked down at his loose bro-tank. “Nah, this is just my under shirt so the makeup wouldn’t get on anything.”

“Oh, really? I couldn’t tell because you looked just about ready for a photo-shoot.” Sunhwa dared to be forward and reached out a hand to stroke Changmin’s arm lightly with her sentence, to punctuate her words. She was disappointed when he drew back immediately at her touch but figured that maybe he wasn’t used to such casual skinship. She could change that. 

“Really?” Changmin glanced at his outfit again. “I really don’t think anyone would want a spread of this.”

Sunhwa tried not to moan in exasperation. Yes, Changmin, she thought, it’s not really camera-ready but the point is that you’re hot god damn it! Apparently, her chosen man was dense. No worries, she could be bold when the occasion called for it.


	28. Hyosung

Hyosung rolled her eyes as Changmin and Sunhwa continued their awkward version of flirting, as it was clear Changmin was not used to such things. It was also incredibly obvious that Changmin was only playing Sunhwa. Hyosung didn’t know why – he must have a good reason because she had never seen him so brazen before – but Sunhwa was never going to let this go. Hyosung could just imagine the hours of listening to Sunhwa recount every second of their interaction that she was going to have to suffer through. 

Hyosung spotted Yunho looking their way with an irritated look on his face. Oh my, Hyosung hoped he didn’t think they were all like Sunhwa. Hyosung may not want to sleep with Yunho like Sunhwa did with Changmin, but she still really respected him and what he had done with TVXQ. She didn’t want Yunho to think they were skanks out for fame. Not that she really thought that of Sunhwa, but the girl could go overboard in her love for Changmin. 

Turning her attention back to the mismatched pair in front of her, Hyosung noticed Sunhwa lean in to run her fingers through Changmin’s hair, probably complimenting his stylist or something. Unfortunately for Sunhwa, it appeared that the action freaked Changmin out and he quickly withdrew again. 

“I should probably get going,” Changmin said, turning to leave the room. Hyosung figured that Sunhwa had been too aggressive for him and noticed Yunho abruptly leave his conversation with Taeyang to follow Changmin out of the room. Hyosung sent a quick prayer to the powers that be, hoping Yunho wasn’t about to go tell Changmin to stay away from them. She didn’t want to leave a bad impression on TVXQ. 

“Oh my gosh, did you see the way he was looking at me?” Oh Lord, Sunhwa had started already. Hyosung wasn’t sure how much of this she could listen to. 

“Like a deer stares at a lion?” Hyosung asked, bitter that Sunhwa had tainted their image with their sunbaes. 

“You’re just jealous because you want Lee Joon to flirt with you!” Sunhwa retorted. 

“Am not!” Oh, Hyosung so was. Of course, she would be irritated with Sunhwa no matter what but it kind of hurt her pride that Sunhwa’s dream-guy had flirted with her before hers had. She and Changsun could be perfect together if the man would just make a move. And not one on national television!

“Are too! You’ve been wanting him to ask you out for years!” Nailed it right on the head. 

“Have not! Changsun-oppa and I are just friends!” 

“And that’s all you and Changsun-oppa are ever going to be!” Sunhwa shot back. 

Hyosung clenched her teeth. Sunhwa knew how she felt about Changsun and how frustrated she was that the man would never actually ask her out. Hyosung had never thought Sunhwa would use that knowledge against her in public though. It was so on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I pretty much ship Lee Joon with everyone~


	29. Yongguk

Yongguk really wished that Hyosung and Sunhwa would stop talking about other men. He didn’t want to have to leave Jieun but he would if this kind of talk kept up. He so did not need to know about the guys his girlfriend’s members had a crush on. Both Lee Joon and Changmin were cool guys, as far as Yongguk knew, and he didn’t want to have to hear Hyosung and Sunhwa comparing their attributes. Just as he was seriously considering leaving for some less estrogen-filled company, Jieun turned to Yongguk and grabbed his hand with a soft, apologetic smile. Yongguk felt himself return the comforting gesture with a goofy grin of his own and a gentle squeeze of Jieun’s hand before he dropped it, afraid someone would notice. He couldn’t leave her after she looked at him with such an innocent, sweet expression on her face. Damn himself and his inability to resist Jieun’s charm! Thank God he had to leave soon for his rap battle. 

Sighing deeply under his breath, Yongguk resigned himself to listening to Hyosung and Sunhwa argue about important things like whose smile was cuter and who was most likely better in bed. Apparently, you could tell that just from someone’s personality. That was news to Yongguk. His only consolation was that Jieun wasn’t partaking in the conversation, simply listening to her friends argue. But still, did they have to be here? Yongguk would much rather be in the TS dressing room, where he could be closer to Jieun. She had already reprimanded him earlier for messing up her lipstick but touching wasn’t off-limits yet. 

Seeing that the two ladies weren’t stopping anytime soon, Yongguk got out his phone to text his only idol friend that wasn’t there. He really looked up to Jay Park so when the man had given him his number after dropping his microphone in his lap and almost copping a feel, Yongguk had nearly spontaneously combusted trying not to text Jay. He had waited three days, seventy-two hours exactly, to finally text Jay so he wouldn’t seem desperate. Jieun had made fun of him, asking if she should be jealous, but Yongguk didn’t care. The two quickly discovered they had a lot in common but with both of their busy schedules, they didn’t hang out as much as Yongguk would like. But still, he could throw the man a message since Jay couldn’t be here with them. 

{Man, Hyosung-noona and Sunhwa will just not stop talking about men! I so don’t need to hear this.} Yongguk was certain Jay would be sympathetic. Sure enough, his phone buzzed less than a minute later. 

{Really? Who’re they talking about :D}

{Not you, you pervert bastard. Changmin of TVXQ and Lee Joon}

{:( oh well. They dream about me anyway ;P}

{A huh. I’m sure they do.} Yongguk paused for a moment, then sent another text before he could think better of its corniness. 

{Miss you bro}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I actually kinda ship Yongguk with Jay too but it didn't fit in this story. I debated putting Yongguk with G.Na too but Jieun and he are just so cute!
> 
> (I had to clarify Changmin because there's one in 2AM too)


	30. Jay

Jay looked at his phone in disbelief. That was the second sappy message tonight! Were all his friends going soft? Jay appreciated the sentiment and all, but why get hung up on it? There really wasn’t anything anyone except JYP himself could do about it so there was no point in letting something like that get to you. Yes, Jay was invulnerable to everything, get over it. In truth, Jay knew he wasn’t completely impervious and his inner romantic was glad his friends thought of him, but he could have done without the reminder. Still, Yongguk was a good guy, a good kid, and Jay liked him. Not like he liked Taecyeon but, as a friend, the guy rocked. Jay typed out a corresponding message that he would probably regret when his testosterone returned to its normal levels but for now, he was fine with it. 

{Miss you too. You’ll just have to do well enough for the both of us}

Feeling extra nostalgic, Jay started recounting all of his idol friends that he had made after he left 2PM. Most of his current friends either weren’t in the business or considered themselves artists but he had a few idol friends. Idols just weren’t Jay’s kind of people because they spent so much of their time worried about their image or their company but there were a few that stood out to Jay, Kyuhyun and Yongguk being two of that group. Jay smirked into his bag of dried mangoes when he remembered someone he never had thought would be a friend. Yes, a bag of mangoes. Jay had already eaten his entire bag of popcorn and half a box of chocolates. Jay was an emotional eater, don’t judge him; after all, who isn’t? 

But, back to the point, Byunghee had practically carved a place for himself in Jay’s life with an ice pick. If the MBLAQ member weren’t so focused on Seungho, Jay would have thought the man had a crush on him. A major crush at that. Byunghee had a different kind of personality than the people Jay usually hung out with but after he had shoved his way into Jay’s schedule, jostling a couple other commitments around until it worked, and Jay had been forced to spend more time with him, Jay discovered Byunghee wasn’t half bad. He was still different but it wasn’t in a bad way and he could be refreshing. 

Actually, thinking about Byunghee made Jay realize that the man hadn’t texted him. Of all his idol friends, Jay would have thought it would have been Byunghee to send him a mushy text, not Kyuhyun and Yongguk. Opening up Kakao Talk again – Yongguk still hadn’t replied to his last text, probably too shocked – Jay decided to send a message Byunghee’s way. 

{You haven’t forgotten about me, have you?}

Jay knew that was sure to send Byunghee into a fit, insisting that he could never forget Jay. Call him petty but Jay wondered if Byunghee really had overlooked him. They hadn’t gotten coffee or seen each other in over five months….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else watch Immortal Songs when G.O was practically in heat over Jay?


	31. G.O

Really? Byunghee thought. Why would he text me tonight of all nights? Byunghee had made a point to not text Jay for the last couple weeks to see how long it would take for the man to message him first. He always put more into their relationship than Jay and Byunghee was starting to think the man really didn’t want him around. So he decided to do an experiment; Byunghee wouldn’t text Jay until the man contacted him first. It turned out to be harder than Byunghee thought. Everything seemed to relate to Jay the second after he decided upon the trial period. If after six months Jay still hadn’t reached out to him, Byunghee would distance himself from Jay and end their friendship. He still really liked the man but a see-saw’s no fun if one person just sits there. Now, Byunghee knew this was slightly unjust to Jay since the man had just started AOMG and then added another CEO but six months was a fair amount of time. So far, it had been about five months and a week with no sign of Jay and Byunghee was starting to give up hope. 

But, of course, Jay would text him on the one night Byunghee didn’t want to talk to him. Byunghee didn’t even open the message. It wasn’t Jay’s fault; it was Seungho and Changsun’s. Byunghee didn’t necessarily hate Changsun but Seungho was his, damn it! While Byunghee liked Changsun as a friend, he had no idea what Seungho saw in him as a lover, no idea at all. Byunghee had thought it had been infuriating watching Seungho pine after Changsun all those years but after Changsun had suddenly decided to give Seungho the time of day, Byunghee realized that had only been a warm-up in his torture session. Jay had actually been the first person after Seungho to catch Byunghee’s eye but when Byunghee realized Jay too was hung up on someone, he put Jay on the back-burner. Byunghee hadn’t given up on Seungho yet. 

But after the display tonight where Seungho practically sprinted away from him because of two words from Changsun, Byunghee was in a foul mood. It appeared to him that Seungho was even further in Changsun’s web than previously believed and Byunghee wasn’t ready to accept defeat gracefully just quite yet. Add to it that Jay had finally decided he was ready to acknowledge Byunghee’s existence again and the vocalist was fucking livid. 

Byunghee left his cell phone where it was still buzzing and stomped off to the stage for MBLAQ’s performance. He would calm down and text Jay later but he did not want to deal with that now. Instead, he was going to enjoy the couple minutes they had on stage where Seungho and Changsun couldn’t maul each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is late because I updated my Shuffle story with the T.O.P./Taeyang chapter so check that out if you're interested! :)


	32. Taecyeon

Jesus Christ, where was that infernal buzzing noise coming from? Taecyeon had been heading to the stage for stand-by on his rap collaboration with T.O.P., Yunho, Yongguk, and Zico when he heard a loud vibration buzz like a phone going off. He ignored it and kept walking but then the sound didn’t stop and Taecyeon felt his already short temper take a beating. He had to find the source of the maddening sound and pound the owner before he truly snapped.   
Tracing the noise to a door, Taecyeon found that it was MBLAQ’s dressing room. Well, he and Byunghee were close friends so the man wouldn’t mind him going in their room. Pushing the door open quietly, Taecyeon remembered that MBLAQ was currently performing so no one was in there to answer the damn contraption. Using his advanced detective skills, i.e. finding a lit up phone in a dark room, Taecyeon quickly located the phone and was less than astonished to discover that it was Byunghee’s. The man’s phone didn’t stop going off until the message had been opened, which was an absolutely terrible idea.

For the sake of his sanity, Taecyeon had to open the message. Byunghee didn’t have a password on his cell for some insane reason and Taecyeon knew the man wouldn’t be too mad at him so without hesitation, Taecyeon looked at the text. 

{You haven’t forgotten about me, have you?}

The sender was titled Jaebeom-hyung and Taecyeon dropped the phone in shock. Yes, Taecyeon couldn’t dictate who his friends went out with but he never thought Byunghee would date Jay without even telling him about it. The hell? How had Taecyeon not seen this coming? Jay had always been a flirty bastard, even when they were dating, and Byunghee wasn’t equipped to deflect his attentions. 

Taecyeon felt his patience and calm snap right then and there. He couldn’t do it. It was all too much. First Kyuhyun earlier and now this? With how stressful end-of-the-year activities were already, Taecyeon just couldn’t take it. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and headed to the stage. His fans thought he was sexy angry, anyway. Why not give them the show they wanted? Flinging to door to the backstage area open with more force than necessary, Taecyeon stalked over to his starting position. T.O.P. and Yunho were on his side of the stage as well, while Yongguk and Zico entered from the other side. MBLAQ was already finished and Rainbow quickly took their places.

“Taecyeon-ah! You’re a little late, where were you?” Yunho asked, with a cheerful smile on his face. The man invaded Taecyeon’s personal space as he tried to be quiet. 

“None of your fucking business,” Taecyeon practically spat back, pushing Yunho away from him. Yunho had this hurt look on his face that just pissed Taecyeon off more and the TVXQ rapper was about to say something when T.O.P. stopped him. 

“Just leave him alone,” came rumbling out of that deep voice. Taecyeon wasn’t sure if T.O.P. was telling him to be nice to Yunho or if he was telling Yunho to get away from him but he sneered at T.O.P. just the same. 

Yunho nodded and returned to where he and T.O.P. had been quietly talking, although more tense than before. Taecyeon leered at their cowardice and stood by himself, boiling in his anger. Soon enough, Rainbow’s performance was over and it was time for the rappers. The five flawlessly covered a mash-up of Not Afraid by Eminem, Dead & Gone by T.I, and Wing$ by Macklemore. Taecyeon had an advantage over the other rappers since he had lived in America for so long and he effortlessly dominated the stage with his perfect pronunciation and domineering attitude. 

Taecyeon sent another smirk T.O.P. and Yunho’s way as the crowd cheered loudly just to make sure they acknowledged his victory. The two simply smiled back, waving to the crowd and their fans, not even looking at him. That didn’t sit well with Taecyeon and when all five of them left the stage together, acting like best friends, Taecyeon tripped Yunho on his way out the door. He heard the harsh smack that betrayed how hard Yunho fell but Taecyeon didn’t look behind him. Those who got in his way deserved the treatment they received.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually know someone with a phone like that. Why? I just don't get it. 
> 
> I just want to warn everyone that the TaecJay aspect of this story did not turn out the way I wanted to write it at all. Somehow it got twisted and I liked it too much to change it back to the original.


	33. T.O.P.

Seunghyun was absolutely disgusted with Taecyeon’s behavior. He might not know Yunho well but the man was still a senior and was always trying to keep the mood cheerful. Taecyeon had no right to treat Yunho so poorly, nor should he treat anyone at all like that. After helping Yunho back up to his feet and apologizing for their junior’s actions, Seunghyun felt his rage boil just underneath his skin. Knowing he couldn’t make anyone bloody, Seunghyun began the search for his boyfriend. He needed to take this out on someone, and who better than Youngbae? 

Ignoring everyone around him and discouraging an approach with his furious expression, Seunghyun strode purposefully from room to room. Finally, he spotted the faux-hawk Youngbae had resumed and made a beeline for the shorter man. 

“I need him for a moment,” he explained to the people Youngbae had been talking to, whose faces he didn’t even take note of. Seunghyun grabbed Youngbae’s arm in a totally non-relationship way and proceeded to drag Youngbae out into the hall and towards a janitor’s closet he’d noticed earlier. Youngbae went along willingly enough, apparently not noticing Seunghyun’s temper. 

“How was your performance?” Youngbae asked as he scampered to keep up with Seunghyun’s heat-energized strides. 

“Just fine,” Seunghyun lied, not wanting to discuss it in public. Youngbae paused for a moment before changing topics. 

“Hey, did you know Dongwook and Bom are dating?” Youngbae asked Seunghyun. 

Seunghyun had, in fact, not known that, although he had suspected, but Seunghyun couldn’t even describe in words how little he cared at that moment. Finally approaching the closet, Seunghyun yanked the door open and gestured to the space. “Get in.”

Youngbae looked at Seunghyun with a confused expression on his face but entered the closet. He was barely in for two seconds before Seunghyun closed the door behind the both of them and slammed Youngbae against the ceiling-tall rack, ravishing his lips. Seunghyun felt Youngbae hesitate for a moment before eagerly responding to Seunghyun’s administrations. Finally, Youngbae broke away and Seunghyun wasted no time moving his mouth to latch on to Youngbae’s neck. 

“Babe, this really hurts.” Seunghyun growled up at him from where he had a good chunk of Youngbae’s skin held between his teeth. “No, not that, the rack is digging into my back.” Seunghyun let up on the pressure his hands exerted on Youngbae’s hips, allowing his lover to move. 

“You’re not worried about our make-up now?” Seunghyun questioned with a raise of one eyebrow. He sneered internally when Youngbae had the decency to look embarrassed, obviously not giving one shit about that with Seunghyun so close to him. Yes, Seunghyun knew the effect he had on his love but Youngbae was like a walking aphrodisiac so Seunghyun figured it evened the scales a little. 

“Something’s got you all riled up.” Youngbae changed the subject, running a hand through Seunghyun’s thick head of hair. Seunghyun leaned into the touch but his eyes darkened as he remembered Taecyeon’s actions. 

“I’ll tell you about it later,” Seunghyun promised. He was busy debating whether he wanted to push Youngbae to his knees or if he wanted to taste the man’s sweet huskiness for himself. They didn’t have very much time before Youngbae’s next performance so they had limited options. Making his decision, Seunghyun sunk to the floor in front of Youngbae. 

“And right now?” Youngbae asked, gripping the hair under his hand with a sudden dominant grip. He was damn well aware from the smirk on his face but Seunghyun knew how much his lover adored dirty talk, especially from his deep voice. 

“Now, you try not to scream while I take your thick cock between my lips and let you fuck my mouth.” Seunghyun grinned when Youngbae moaned just from the words then started to get to work on the zipper in front of him. Youngbae could repay him later tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, angry sex is one of the best kinds (did I have any of you worrying that T.O.P. was going to be abusive for a second there?)
> 
> And I still support the BoDong couple! They're too cute not too


	34. Yunho

Yunho was just heading back to the room to grab a water bottle before his dance battle with Youngbae (as Taeyang had asked Yunho to call him), Hyukjae, Hoya, and U-Kwon, when he passed a closet with some strange noises coming out of it. He stopped immediately when he caught the first moan, thinking someone was hurt. Just as he was about to open the door and call for help, Yunho heard something that sounded vaguely like a whimper. Hesitating, Yunho leaned a little closer to the door to make sure his suspicions were correct. Soon after, a couple grunts and another breathy moan confirmed Yunho’s theory. 

Yunho blushed as he realized he was witnessing another’s couple intimate moment. Most likely someone going down on a man from the deep intonation and lack of a second voice. Not that Yunho should be thinking about it but he couldn’t help that his brain automatically analyzed the situation. Changminnie had made him into a pervert. But the gasps and whimpers reminded Yunho of the time he and Changmin had shared together following the little Sunhwa incident Changmin pulled. After he followed Changmin out of the room, he quickly found himself in the TVXQ dressing room with a possessive Changmin rubbing their cocks together while marking up as much of Yunho’s skin as he could reach. Yunho was comfortable enough to admit that he enjoyed Changmin’s dominating and controlling side as much as he loved being the one to force Changmin into submission. 

As Yunho’s mind took a detour into the gutters, he failed to move away from the closet. Caught in his memories, Yunho was jolted from them when a name finally emerged from the recipient’s mouth. 

“Seunghyun-ah, hyung, please, faster.” The voice, while slightly distorted from the thick material between them and Yunho, was distinctly Youngbae’s. Yunho’s face lost all color as he took that new information in. So Youngbae and Seunghyun were together. Well, that was a surprise. And that was an understatement. Hey, if the couple was open to it, they could go on double dates with him and Changmin! That would be fun and a good way to get to know the Big Bang members better. Although, Yunho would have to explain how he knew they were together then….

Yunho faltered as he debated knocking on the door. He and Youngbae really needed to get backstage soon for their dance battle. Youngbae was the only other one besides Yunho who had two extra performances in addition to their main one, Yunho had learned earlier. With Jiyoung’s incident earlier, it would look really bad for Big Bang to have two problems in one night; Yunho would hate for Youngbae to miss their dance battle, especially after they had practiced so hard together. 

While Yunho fought with himself about reminding the couple of the upcoming performance, it appeared that Seunghyun had actually been keeping track of time because Yunho caught the sounds of Youngbae’s orgasm before he made a decision. A deep whine followed by another long drawn out rumble of Seunghyun’s name alerted Yunho to Youngbae’s completion. 

Flushed, Yunho looked down to see that his body had appreciated the noises Youngbae had been making. Ignoring the sounds of Seunghyun and Youngbae cleaning up, Yunho desperately tried to will his erection away. He had to get himself less excited so he could go walk, then perform. Yunho was sure his face was brighter than a Las Vegas neon sign he was blushing so hard. The man wasn’t normally this much of a blusher but he was embarrassed as well as aroused and it was a dangerous combination. 

Finally, the image of Jaejoong’s bitch face and the memory of all the creeps he fought off during his homeless period forced Yunho’s cock into submission and he could run away before the couple re-emerged from the closet. Maybe Seunghyun and Youngbae would be interested in a little more than just a double date… Changmin was always willing to try new things.


	35. JR

Jonghyun was finally going to approach Yunho today. The Nu’Est rapper had looked up to Yunho for years. Big Bang and TVXQ were his main inspirations, with Yunho, G-Dragon, and T.O.P. being especially important since they too were rappers. He wanted to speak to all seven members of his favorite groups but Yunho was his first target since the man seemed the most friendly. The Big Bang seniors were just a little too reserved and separated from the rest of the industry for Jonghyun to feel completely comfortable approaching them. One day, he would work himself up to it but not today. Today was for Yunho. 

Jonghyun knew Yunho should be heading back to the stage for the dance battle since the man always arrived early, just in case. Jonghyun wouldn’t delay the man long, just a minute or two, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to actually talk to Yunho today. Jonghyun had been working himself up to it for weeks but today was the day. 

Entering the hallway with confidence he didn’t feel, Jonghyun made his way to the stage, knowing he would run across Yunho on the way. Spotting Yunho in the distance, Jonghyun sped his steps slightly, excited but not wanting to come across too eager. He didn’t want Yunho to dismiss him as just another fanboy. Getting a better image of Yunho, Jonghyun began to slow down when he realized that Yunho was just stopped in the middle of the hall. He wasn’t moving, he wasn’t talking to anyone, he was just standing. Well, that was intimidating as fuck. How could he just walk right up to Yunho if the man was simply standing there? 

Jonghyun’s eyes were locked on Yunho’s face, searching for his usual warmth and cheer, so he clearly saw a blush tint Yunho’s cheeks. Jonghyun chickened out at the sight. He couldn’t walk up to a senior of nine years that he had no previous relation to when that senior was embarrassed. Jonghyun simply couldn’t do it. He looked up to Yunho too much to approach him while he was uncomfortable; it might embarrass Yunho further. 

Jonghyun made a 180 and continued walking in the other direction. He was certain no one had seen his strange action and he quickly retreated to the lobby where most of the Pledis artists were hanging out. The further Jonghyun got from Yunho, though, the more ashamed he felt. The blush he thought he saw could have easily been a trick of lighting and now he had thrown away his only chance in the near future to talk to Yunho. Nu’Est and TVXQ didn’t exactly go on a lot of programs together and this was only the fourth time Jonghyun had seen Yunho in person since he debuted in 2012. Jonghyun had to blink away tears as he thought of his cowardice. How could he be so spineless?

Reaching the lobby, Jonghyun didn’t enter far. He just caught the eye of the person he needed and headed back to a dressing room that was currently abandoned. He knew it wouldn’t be long until his lover followed.


	36. Ren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uee's real name is Yujin (just to avoid confusion)

Minki had been talking to Yujin-noona while he waited for Jonghyun to come back from his mission. They had become good friends after their W Korea photo-shoot when Yujin realized Minki could be an even bigger diva than her. He didn’t always act like that but Minki definitely had a sassy side. Other than the Nu’Est members, Yujin was Minki’s favorite person in the company. She even beat out Dongho to be honest. The man was constantly flirting with him even though he knew Minki was with Jonghyun, and then the Pledis management had decided to promote the BaekRen couple, which only made things worse. Jonghyun knew of Minki’s great dislike for Dongho but that didn’t make it better when BaekRen was constantly forced into skinship. 

So when Jonghyun left on his quest to finally talk to Yunho, Minki naturally went to Yujin’s side. They hadn’t seen each other in a while and Minki wanted to catch up. Unfortunately, Jonghyun hadn’t been gone more than two minutes when he suddenly reappeared in the lobby before disappearing. Although he and Yujin had barely gotten past greetings, Minki said his goodbye’s immediately and followed Jonghyun. He could tell from his lover’s eyes how upset the man was and could only assume his little warrior had failed in his quest. Minki hadn’t seen what direction Jonghyun had gone in but he assumed they were meeting up in the empty room next to Pledis dressing room since no one else would be there. The room had some electrical problem so the stylists couldn’t use it and it had been left unoccupied until repairs could be done. 

Casually walking, Minki reached the room in mere minutes and gently nudged it open to find Jonghyun seated on the couch with his head buried in his hands. Minki didn’t say anything; he just locked the door behind him, crossed over to the stationary position of his lover, sat on the arm of the couch, and put his arms around Jonghyun’s shoulders. 

“I couldn’t do it, Minki. I’m such a fucking coward. I took one look at him and made up some excuse in my head so I could walk away.”

Minki sighed; Jonghyun was too hard on himself sometimes and Minki was far too used to this kind of self-deprecating talk. Normally the Nu’Est leader was quite cheerful, but he also tried to carry the world on his shoulders and Minki had appointed it his job to remind Jonghyun that such things only resulted in crushing you. “You’re not a coward, baby. You got within sight of him this time. That’s a huge improvement; last time you stopped before you even got in the same vicinity as Yunho. Next time, you’ll be able to go up and talk to him. You’re just taking small steps.”

“But it’ll be months until I see him next!” Jonghyun replied, still refusing to raise his head from his hands. 

Minki wasn’t sure why this was so important to him. If Minki didn’t know his boyfriend better, he’d be green from jealousy, but Minki knew Jonghyun loved him. Well, in simpler terms, he had Jonghyun wrapped around his pinky finger and Minki didn’t see that changing because of Yunho. Yes, Minki was just as devoted to Jonghyun but Minki preferred to think of himself as in charge. 

“Then you’ll have months to remember the last times you’ve tried this and to accumulate your courage until you have to do it. I believe in you babe.” Minki began to massage Jonghyun’s shoulders, finding multiple knots despite the fact that he had done the same thing just two nights ago. 

Jonghyun finally moved his head to look over his shoulder, moaning softly in appreciation at the pressure. “Thanks, baby. It’s just frustrating, that’s all.”

Minki smiled and leaned in to place a small kiss on Jonghyun’s pliant lips. “I know, but you can do it. You can do anything you want.” Jonghyun smirked up at Minki, most likely thinking of ways to turn the conversation dirty now that he was cheered up. Minki returned the look with an impish one of his own, glad that his lover was feeling better and well enough to fuck Minki into the couch. Minki had his priorities, alright?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't like BaekRen. I'm not sure, Baekho just rubs me super wrong. JRen for the win!


	37. Uee

Yujin grinned as she watched Minki practically sprint from the room after Jonghyun gave him one look. The two thought they were being subtle, and maybe they were to the outside world, but Yujin knew both of them too well to be fooled. She herself had been in the same position once upon a time. There was a time when she and her lover were so caught up in each other, they forgot to cover their tracks carefully and would dash to the other at a penny’s drop. But time had passed and now she and Jiyoung were experts in the business. They knew how to act around each other so no one would even suspect a thing. 

With no one around, Yujin was free to lose herself in thoughts of the future. While she had fully enjoyed her time in After School, Yujin knew it was about time to move on and the company would be pushing her graduation soon. She had built herself up a sturdy career in acting and Yujin found that she almost enjoyed it more than singing. She was still an entertainer and could still go on the occasional variety show but movies and TV shows had an ending point. Yujin could have little breaks between projects instead of just constantly working. Days off for idols were few and far between. Yujin worked hard as an actress but it wasn’t quite as life-sucking as being a member of After School was. Now her lover, Jiyoung, wanted to continue in the business as long as she possibly could. Jiyoung was practically born to be on stage and Yujin had no plans to try and take that from her. But still, after her graduation, she and Jiyoung could actually be together more often instead of having Skyping dates since Jiyoung graduated. Maybe, if they were careful enough or brave enough, the pair could even get an apartment together. 

Yujin knew that whatever her future held, her family, her acting career, and Jiyoung would be there for her so she had no fear for the unknown. It would be strange at first but it was a change Yujin welcomed. With a peaceful smile on her face, Yujin took a quick selca to commemorate her last Gayo stage then headed off to find Jooyeon and Jungah to practice. She wanted her final performance to be perfect.


	38. Yongguk

“Hyung!” Daehyun burst into the room that Yongguk had returned to after his rap performance.

“What?” Yongguk asked, alarmed at his member’s obvious distress.

“They can’t find two of the members of Nu’Est for the performance with 4Minute so they’re pushing our number up!”

“What?” Yongguk practically snarled out. How could they be so irresponsible?

“We have to go! Come on, they need us all backstage right now!” Daehyun didn’t need to encourage Yongguk further as the B.A.P. leader squeezed Jieun’s hand and began the trek to the stage. Yongguk didn’t look behind him but he assumed Daehyun was following him and started hastening his steps as he felt the anxious vibe his member was giving off. When the pair entered the area, Yongguk found all the other B.A.P. members there and a staff member rushed over to help with his microphone fitting. 

“You guys are going on right after this,” the staff member informed Yongguk.

“What?” Yongguk said for the second time in a minute. 

“We tried to find JR and Ren for the longest time but we had to give up and we’re switching the B.A.P. and Nu’Est collaboration numbers,” the staff member explained as she whipped out body tape and a seemingly endless stream of wires. “You guys are going right after Girls’ Day.” 

Yongguk looked up to find that the Girls’ Day members were more than half-way through Something. The poor staff member barely had his microphone strapped around his waist when the girls exited and Yongguk had to get ready to go on. Yongguk tried to take a deep breath but all he felt was rushed. B.A.P. was performing 1004 since their second 2014 single didn’t get quite as good a response in Korea. 

Yongguk tried to perform the song like nothing was wrong, like he hadn’t just been in a waiting room three minutes ago, since he was the leader and had to set a good example. Everyone else was doing just fine but then it got to the dance break. B.A.P. had remixed the song a little to make it special and had added a new, cooler dance break towards the end of the song. Yongguk was normally a rather good dancer but things had been so hectic with the end-of-the-year schedules and this unexpected turn of events. Although the spotlight mostly rested on Jongup and Zelo during the break, Yongguk had one little part where he performed a b-boy trick he had learned from Jay. 

When it came his time, though, to show off his new moves, Yongguk froze. He forgot everything Jay had thought him about b-boying. Jieun and the members would be disappointed if Yongguk completely choked because of one little mishap. With his brain in a complete panic, Yongguk reverted to something else Jay had taught him; how to rip his shirt. Fortunately, Yongguk was wearing a bro-tank for this performance so, with precisely the same technique as Jay, Yongguk ripped the damn thing entirely off. When the crowd went wild, Yongguk grinned. Crisis averted. It might not have been what Jay had originally intended, but it was still something and no one in the audience would know he had screwed up. 

With a saucy wink to the camera, Yongguk rejoined the group in the last chorus. As the lights went down, B.A.P. left the stage to the loudest cheers they had heard since their first tour. Yongguk smirked, knowing he had caused it, and joined the group in cheering obnoxiously as they went back to their room. They were done for the night and could finally go home and sleep but even more than that, they were high from the remaining adrenaline of the performance. Yongguk strode confidently with his members, not ashamed of his exposed state at all. Hell, he was proud of the effect he had on his fan-girls (and boys) and saw nothing wrong with showing it off here and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated Where Are You? What Are You Doing? Not even going to lie. It kinda sucked. But 1004 was my jam~


	39. Chapter 39

Today was just not Taecyeon’s day. He could not remember the last time he had been this angry since Jay left. Everything today just seemed to remind him of his former lover and Taecyeon had been unable to calm himself down since 2PM arrived at the SBS building. The rest of his members had been dedicatedly avoiding Taecyeon, apparently used to his destructive temper. Taecyeon was backstage for the last time tonight, waiting for 2PM’s performance when he saw it. The last he remembered, 2PM was going after a collaboration performance between 4Minute and Nu’Est but the boys of B.A.P. were the ones he was watching. Taecyeon didn’t think anything of it; accidents happened in show business. 

But then their leader, Yongguk, ripped off his shirt. Now, Taecyeon liked Yongguk just fine after spending so much time with him practicing for their rap collab but he knew that method. That was the exact same way Jay used to rip his shirts off during their old 2PM performances, and still ripped them today. Most men would just take their shirt off over their head, or lift it up for a glance, or hook it behind their neck like Rain did in Love Song but Jay had a very specific way of doing it. And Yongguk had just duplicated it. 

Taecyeon knew he wasn’t seeing things when Wooyoung glanced his way as if to see how he was doing. Taecyeon’s fists opened and closed as he tried to keep his hands busy so he wouldn’t strangle Yongguk. So Jay was teaching younger men how to rip their shirts off, that wasn’t anything strange, it totally could have been a teaching moment. 

Taecyeon’s rational side won out for about five seconds, then his internal demon summoned up images of Jay and Yongguk together. With both of them shirtless, it was more than likely they had sex. Taecyeon could just see it now, Jay placing his hands over Yongguk’s like all the guys in romantic comedies when they tried to teach their lady something, and slowly jerking the material off Yongguk’s body. Taecyeon shook his head vigorously, trying to remove the simulation from his mind. Taecyeon tensed again as he thought of something. Jay sure as hell better have topped because his ass was Taecyeon’s and no one else’s. With narrowed eyes, Taecyeon watched Yongguk exit the stage, looking for a limp and simmering when he didn’t see one. 

Peeling his enraged eyes off Yongguk’s retreating form, Taecyeon focused on 2PM’s performance. As he forced all his anger into his movements, making them harsher and, in turn, sharper, Taecyeon tried to think of a way to get back at his ex-boyfriend. He had to cause Jay the same agony that this betrayal had inflicted upon him. About halfway through their new song, Taecyeon sneered as he remembered an old signal between him and Jay. When they thought someone totally sucked and never wanted to see them again, one of them would make peace signs with both hands and connect the opposite finger on each hand, vertically. It ended up looking somewhat like an upside-down “M” but it didn’t look inherently mean-spirited so the boys kept it up. That sign meant “Please help me get out of here, this person is terrible, and I never want them in my life again.” They mostly used it at large conventions when they had to deal with pompous and arrogant people but occasionally they used it with acquaintances that just didn’t get the memo.

When it came to Taecyeon’s second rap, his words weren’t as heated as before. They were more like ice, like someone trying to inflict as much pain as possible on someone. Fire could burn but ice was just as deadly and oftentimes, more raw. It was one thing to go up in flames but a completely different thing to feel the cold consume you until your body refused to cooperate. At the very end of his verse, Taecyeon made the same sign he and Jay used right in front of the camera. Jay had to see it. Taecyeon knew he would get questions about its meaning later on variety shows but that would just give him another opportunity to wound Jay again and again and again. 

With one last wink to the camera, so Jay would know that sign was meant just for him, so Jay would know Taecyeon knew exactly what he was dong, Taecyeon finished the performance easily. He was a professional, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I made Taecyeon a bitch. I'm not sure how it happened, I just wrote him that way accidentally.   
> Oh, so I'm actually studying abroad in Korea right now and I realized the other day how much cheaper CDs are here (and bought like seven of my own), so I thought maybe I could buy them for people. So if anyone has a K-Pop CD they want, they could send me the name and then I'll look at the cheapest price I can find here + like a two dollar convenience fee for me + the shipping cost and then I'll tell you if it's worth it to have me get it. I'll also be back in America in six weeks, so I can ship it from there if people won't mind waiting. Idk, I just thought I'd offer since buying online is so freaking expensive.


	40. Jay

When it was announced that 2PM was the next performer, Jay debated changing the channel until it was over. He was caught between seeing his old friends’ growth and running from the past. While he was having an internal debate, 2PM entered the stage and Jay was quickly caught up in their performance. He could see how much better Wooyoung and Junho had gotten at dancing, how much Junsu and Chansung’s vocals had improved, and how far Nichkhun’s Korean had come. 

And Taecyeon. Taecyeon was pissed. Jay could tell from the rapper’s jerky movements and the stiff expression on his face. Jay had his suspicions earlier during Taecyeon’s rap number - which Jay had texted Yongguk about, as well as Yongguk’s little stint a minute ago with his shirt - but now his thoughts were confirmed. Taecyeon was angry and hella furious, at that. Jay was so used to reading Taecyeon’s mood from the movement of his body that he picked up on the littlest things. In all honesty, Taecyeon’s temper could be clear to most people, he was being that obvious. Jay wondered what could have infuriated him that much that Taecyeon was letting it affect his performance.

About halfway through, Jay caught Taecyeon’s mood change. He saw the man shut down his emotions, apparently coming to a decision internally. Jay quickly found out what the result was when Taecyeon moved forward for another rap verse. Jay almost dropped his bowl of pretzels when Taecyeon made a sign, their sign. Jay knew what Taecyeon was trying to say to him and it was coming through loud and clear. Fuck off, I don’t care about you anymore. Jay didn’t know what had happened to make Taecyeon think of him but it was obvious that he was the main cause of his ex-boyfriend’s mood. 

Jay watched the rest of the routine in a state of mild shock. On one hand, he was stunned Taecyeon still remembered that (and that he himself still recognized its meaning). On the other hand, he was sad that Taecyeon continued to feel so bitter years later. Jaw was certain now that Taecyeon would never forgive him for leaving, not even after so many years. It appeared that instead of time healing all pain, it had just given birth to resentment and anger. 

With a heart that suddenly felt much heavier than before and a throat that was threatening to close, Jay put down his pretzels and drew up his knees to curl in on himself. It was amazing to Jay that Taecyeon still had the ability to stab him in the gut after all this time. He had thought Taecyeon didn’t have that much power over him anymore. Suddenly, Jay felt arms wrap around him. 

“Babe, what are you doing?” Jay hadn’t even heard the door open and his lover return from his schedule but he relaxed back into those arms, drawing comfort from their strength and familiar smell. 

“Just realizing that some people will never let go of the past,” Jay replied. 

His lover walked around the couch, sitting down next to Jay and drawing the shorter man into his lap. “Watch the 2PM performance?”

Jay had always been surprised that the other man was so good at not being jealous; instead, he supported Jay through his mourning phases. Taecyeon would always be Jay’s first love and his current boyfriend was aware that it had been an excruciating separation. 

“Yeah,” Jay answered simply, curling into his lover. Jay felt hands rub up and down his back as the other man silently offered comfort. Wrapping his arms around the taller man’s neck, Jay leaned up for a soft kiss, thanking him for his reassurance and understanding. The other man responded with gentle enthusiasm, seemingly not wanting to push his little lover. Jay made a realization right then and there. 

Jay grinned, stood up, and turned the TV off. His boyfriend tilted his head up at Jay questioningly. Jay pulled him to his feet and led him to the bedroom, ready for some more vigorous activity. He had to let the other know that he had made the right decision. They were perfect together. Maybe not in the same way as him and Taecyeon, but it was still more than great. The past was gone and here and now was all that mattered.

Jay and Kim Woo Bin. They were all that mattered. And Jay couldn’t have gotten luckier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea where that came from either. They're from the same company?


	41. Taecyeon

Taecyeon felt a little better after he basically flipped Jay off in a way that only the two of them would ever understand. He left the stage with his face covered in smug satisfaction. The gesture hadn’t made his pain go away but it cooled his temper and it felt great to finally exact some revenge on the other. 

Heading backstage, Taecyeon realized that Girls’ Generation was up next. They didn’t normally go this early (relatively) but TaeTiSeo had a schedule overseas that they had to catch a flight to. In the broadcast, it would likely be edited so Girls’ Generation performed closer to the end but those attending would know the truth. Taecyeon grinned a bright smile when he remembered that three of the SNSD girls had a crush on him. Nichkhun may have Tiffany, but Yuri, Hyoyeon, and Sunny all wanted Taecyeon. Now, while the 2PM rapper preferred men for relationships, he claimed no such discriminations in his flirting and his fucking. 

Taecyeon quickly saw that all of his pursuers were on the same side as him. His night was over now and they would be finished after this number, so why not pick a girl for the night? Taecyeon honestly liked all three women in his bed but tonight he was feeling a little bit rougher. Yuri it was then. Yuri didn’t complain about a couple bruises and even enjoyed the harsh treatment. Yes, she was the perfect one for him tonight. 

Taecyeon could read them all like an open book with an audio accompaniment. The three women knew he slept with all of them, although he had yet to convince them into a foursome, and eagerly waited to see if Taecyeon was in the mode tonight. They had agreed not to fight over men but each secretly kept their count of how many times they had all slept with Taecyeon. Sunny was currently in the lead. 

Taecyeon cackled internally at their expectant expressions but outwardly, let a dirty grin curve his lips. “Good luck ladies. You’re looking exceptionally sexy tonight, Yuri.” He greeted them all so he wouldn’t be penalized later but grabbed Yuri’s hand to place a soft kiss on it. 

“Thanks, oppa. You too.” Yuri pressed in close to him, although not quite touching, and winked before heading to the stage. 

Taecyeon went to go get his stuff together before the 2PM van departed for the evening. He knew he had said all that was needed to get Yuri to show up at his apartment tonight. With everything else he had been through, Taecyeon’s day was looking up a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is so late; I was going to post a different story but then decided to wait until it was all finished to start posting


	42. Yuri

Yes! Taecyeon had picked her for the night! And if she had learned anything about his mannerisms, she was in for a rough night. That smirk before he said hello spoke volumes. According to Yuri’s count, Sunny was currently leading by five nights and Hyoyeon trailed Yuri by seven. This was her chance to up her count and hopefully gain Taecyeon’s favor over Sunny. Yes, they had agreed not to fight but Yuri was competitive by nature and Taecyeon was a great prize. 

Yuri felt her sudden extra boost in confidence flow throughout her body and she put a little extra sway into her hips as she strode to center stage. Yuri could feel Hyoyeon and Sunny glaring at her as they all entered but Yuri just let that fuel her good mood. Hyoyeon and Sunny could suck it because she had won. Or rather, they could not suck it. 

The Mr.Mr music started up and Yuri focused on her dancing. All the SNSD girls were dressed in more revealing and flashy clothing than usual for Mr.Mr promotions since their second 2014 hit had focused on a more provocative image, while still not being trashy. SNSD performed shorter versions of both their 2014 releases and Yuri felt fantastic when the Sones began to chant her name during her solo dance section. She knew her excitement was echoing in her movements and her body was reflecting the sexiness she felt from Taecyeon’s decision. Yuri was ruling the stage tonight, of that, no one could deny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about this one guys. It's the shortest chapter in the entire story but I needed it as a transition to the next chapter.


	44. T.O.P.

Seunghyun had been sitting in their room waiting for Youngbae to return from his number with Ailee when the door was suddenly forced open and his distraught lover came through. Seunghyun’s body tensed instantly when he saw Youngbae’s expression. He didn’t know who had made his love this way, but their ass was going to get the beating of its life when Seunghyun tracked them down. No one hurt his boyfriend and didn’t suffer for it. Youngbae was always Seunghyun’s first priority. 

Seunghyun wasn’t sure what had happened. Just ten minutes ago, he had sent off a happy, sexually stated Youngbae to perform a song he loved. And now, Youngbae looked like he had that time Jiyoung told him he was a terrible friend during a fight. Youngbae made a beeline for his couch and sat down as close to Seunghyun as physically possible without actually sitting in his lap. Seunghyun immediately wrapped an arm around Youngbae as tight as he could without being painful. 

“What happened, baby?” Seunghyun asked quietly, touching Youngbae’s face with the very tips of his fingers. 

Youngbae exhaled loudly before answering. “Nothing, really.”

“Nope. I know nothing and nothing sure as fuck didn’t make you this upset. Now, don’t make me repeat myself again or I’ll punish you even more tonight.” At the quirk of Youngbae’s eyebrow, Seunghyun revised. “Or, I won’t punish you at all and we can stay up all night watching chick-flicks. I know they’re your favorite.” Seunghyun chuckled at Youngbae’s face, scrunched up in disgust, before it returned to its troubled position. 

“It’s stupid,” Youngbae said, staring down at his hands in his lap. 

Seunghyun tilted his chin until Youngbae was looking him the eye again so his sincerity would be clear. “Nothing is stupid when it comes to you.” 

Youngbae paused for an extended moment before answering. “I just… don’t feel good… about myself.”

“You wanna clarify that statement?” Seunghyun asked. 

“I was backstage and Yuri was dancing so sexily and then I remembered the LED incident and I just… don’t feel good.” Youngbae was trying to explain without sounding petty but Seunghyun knew the words were hard for him.

Seunghyun had dealt with this issue before, Youngbae’s deep insecurities from more than a decade in the business. He was familiar with this particular beasty and the best way to deal with it. “Baby.” Seunghyun’s matter-of-fact tone caught Youngbae’s attention. “You are the sexiest person I have ever seen ever, on the dance floor and off. No girl has anything on you, don’t you ever question that.” 

Seunghyun was already plotting up ways to get Youngbae to believe him that involved dancing, whipped cream, and sex when his younger lover beamed up at him and gently connected their lips. Seunghyun tried not to moan into the kiss but it was rather difficult with how amazing a kisser Youngbae was - just another skill set he excelled in. Pulling back for air, Seunghyun smiled softly at Youngbae. “You got that? I’ll have to get you another tattoo if you ever forget again.” Oh shit, now Seunghyun really wanted some ink on Youngbae that labeled the man his. 

“Yeah, I got it.” Youngbae grinned back and Seunghyun did a mental victory dance at his success in getting his lover to feel better. At least, he tried to envision one but he was too busy planning Youngbae’s newest tattoo. 

“Good. Now, let’s go get those popcorn chip things you like so much. I think I saw them in a vending machine earlier and we have a little bit before our performance.” Youngbae stood up and helped Seunghyun to his feet, practically bouncing at the prospect of his current favorite snack. “And then I get to take you home and prove just how sexy you are,” Seunghyun rumbled into Youngbae’s ear as he led the younger man out of the room with a hand on the small of his back. The resulting blush on Youngbae’s face was extremely satisfying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Popcorn chips are yummy. Tobae is delicious. That is all.


	45. Siwon

Siwon was on his way to the stage when he saw T.O.P. following Taeyang to the vending machines. From the arm around Taeyang’s shoulders that was too protective to be strictly friendly to the way Taeyang unconsciously curved his body into T.O.P.’s taller one, Siwon could guess that they were together. If he was honest, Siwon was obsessed with T.O.P. They were so similar in many ways but so different in other, more significant ones. Siwon felt that they were parallel in their extraordinary, chiseled good looks and their wealth but T.O.P. was more confident than Siwon, less limited. Siwon always suspected that he was being compared to T.O.P., and constantly found lacking. T.O.P. was a better actor than him, had a more distinct voice, and was confident in his sexuality. Siwon had watched T.O.P. long enough to be certain that the man was bisexual and currently in a relationship with one short, mohawk-bearing dancer. 

If only Siwon’s father wasn’t so convinced that homosexuals were a plight on the Earth, then maybe Siwon would feel more comfortable in his own skin, but you can’t choose your family. Siwon had it drilled into his brain at a young age that homosexuality was disgusting and all those queers should be stopped from spreading their repulsive disease. So you’d think that Siwon would have a sickened reaction to figuring out his idol was gay, but instead, Siwon envied his freedom. While Siwon felt like he locked himself deep inside, T.O.P. strode around with his arm around Taeyang like he didn’t care who saw, and perhaps he didn’t. From what Siwon had seen, T.O.P. put Taeyang above everything else. 

What Siwon was more ashamed of than anything was that he wanted someone to take care of him for once. He didn’t crave dominating another man into compliance; he desired that forced submission for himself. Siwon wanted to be broken down then put back together again. He wanted to be held down by someone stronger than him and shown all the dirty pleasures of the world until he exploded into a thousand pieces. And then he wanted his man to hold him gently until Siwon could feel his toes again. Siwon could admit to himself that he was gay, gayer than John Elton, but only when he was by himself in a pitch black room did he acknowledge his deepest and darkest need. 

But he would never have that. Not with his father constantly breathing down his neck about getting married and having children. Maybe when his father died… No, Siwon couldn’t bank on that. It would make him a terrible son and he was already such a sinner. 

Tearing his eyes from the couple and noticing the way T.O.P. tracked Taeyang’s movements around the room, Siwon moved the extra fifty meters to reach the stage door. He met up with a couple other Super Junior members there, who were chatting before they crossed into the stage area where they had to be extremely quiet. Donghae, Hyukjae, and Jeongsu all looked up and greeted him as Siwon joined the group. 

“Hey, man, you okay? You kinda zoned for a couple minutes there,” Hyukjae asked. 

“Yeah, it’s just been a long day,” Siwon replied, not adding that every day was a long day when he felt so repressed. He threw an arm around Donghae’s waist, pulling him close, under the veil of being so tired he needed support. 

“Holy shit, Siwon, you going to make it through the performance?” Jeongsu questioned, switching to leader mode automatically. 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Siwon responded. He rested his head on Donghae’s shoulder, letting most of his weight hang on the shorter man. He used little moments like these to placate his inner beast, his craving for male contact. Though his father disproved of skinship, Siwon thought it was the best invention known to man because it allowed him some small satisfaction. Siwon breathed deeply from the crook of Donghae’s neck, inhaling the scent and nearly sighing from how good the man always smelled. It was what Siwon imagined sometimes while he jacked off. Sometimes, it was Donghae in his mind, sometimes it was T.O.P., sometimes it was Yunho, and sometimes it was just a faceless man. But Siwon would take his inspiration where he could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate Siwon's father, I'm just going to be honest.


	46. Donghae

Donghae stiffened when he distinctly felt Siwon sniff him. There was no doubt about it; the man had obviously smelled Donghae’s neck. Donghae had known for about five years now that Siwon was into men, but wouldn’t act on his desires. Donghae was perfectly fine with gay men, hell, his best friend was dating his band member, but that didn’t mean he was okay knowing Siwon used his image to masturbate to (a little fact he had discovered one night when he walked passed Siwon’s room to hear his own name being moaned). That just didn’t sit right with Donghae. 

And for some insane reason, Siwon mostly touched him. Yes, he liked to feel up all the Super Junior members but he seemed to have a particular fondness for Donghae. It didn’t even make sense to Donghae; why didn’t Siwon go for one of the gay members of Super Junior? Yes, Ryeowook was currently dating Zhoumi but Yesung was available! You’d think their lither little frames would be perfect for an alpha male like Siwon. The whole thing just made Donghae uncomfortable but he couldn’t talk to Siwon about it, lest he hurt the other man’s feelings.

“Well, we gotta go, boys. Come on Siwon, we just have to get through this performance,” Jeongsu said. The Super Junior leader was often Donghae’s savior and Donghae was glad to finally have the man back, although they’d soon be losing Shindong and Sungmin. With an exaggerated yawn, Siwon untangled his limbs from their position around Donghae and followed Jeongsu through the door. Hyukjae threw Donghae a sympathetic glance before also entering. Donghae followed, excited at the prospect of having a safe area where Siwon couldn’t touch him constantly. 

But alas, Donghae’s life wasn’t that easy. Super Junior was performing a mash-up of all of their title songs since they debuted to celebrate Jeongsu’s return. Given that it was supposed to be a feel-good performance for the fans, there was a lot of interaction between the members. And Siwon was all over Donghae! Hyukjae had tried to get him off under the pretense of “Jealous EunHae” but Siwon would have none of it. Donghae didn’t know what was going on in the man’s mind but Siwon had never been this clingy before on a broadcast. He was always careful to only be super touchy during their concerts when his father was guaranteed to not be watching the television for his son. Mr. Choi hadn’t thought to look at fancams yet so Siwon was always more into skinship there. Donghae wasn’t sure how Siwon was going to explain this night away because some of those touches were definitely not strictly friendly. 

Although Donghae tried to enjoy every moment onstage, he found himself insanely glad when the song finally faded from the speakers. Donghae practically dashed from the stage as he tried to escape from Siwon. Thankfully, Donghae saw his best friend backstage with his lover; ever the perfectionists, they were there a full performance early. Donghae ran straight into Yunho’s arms without even greeting the 2NE1 members, who were getting ready to go on. As Donghae heard the music for Come Back Home start, Yunho pulled him closer and chuckled into his ear. 

“Siwon again?” he asked quietly enough that only Donghae could hear. The Super Junior member practically clung to Yunho like the man was a life raft. 

“You have no idea,” Donghae replied. “I don’t think he’s ever been this bad, it’s like he’s in heat.” Yunho laughed softly but didn’t withdraw his embrace. 

They would often do this when Siwon got too frisky. Siwon appeared to also have a little crush on Yunho and would back off when the two were together like this. Siwon wasn’t aware of Yunho’s relationship with Changmin so he naturally assumed the two of them were together and Donghae wasn’t going to rob him of that delusion. If he had to pretend to be a couple with Yunho to get Siwon off his ass, then Donghae was willing to do so. It was nothing he wouldn’t have done with Yunho anyway, when they were being affectionate. Siwon made Donghae uncomfortable while Yunho had the exact opposite effect; Yunho felt like home and safety. 

“He’s gone; you can let go now,” Yunho said, pulling back. Donghae instantly found himself missing the warmth and comfort but stopped himself before that thought could go any further. 

“Well, I’ll see you later. Good luck!” Donghae waved goodbye and left the stage area before his body betrayed him and went back to Yunho’s arms. Yunho smiled back and Donghae retreated. Shaking his head vigorously, Donghae attempted to lose the image of Yunho’s warm smile and his strong arms and his cushy chest.

Yeah… Donghae just needed to find a girl, he decided; that’s where these thoughts were coming from. Maybe he would catch Dara after her performance and see what she was up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... so that YunHae-ish moment wasn't in my outline either... things just write themselves in and I'm helpless to stop them


	47. Changmin

Changmin was grumpy. Yes, he knew Yunho was very affectionate with all his friends (especially that bastard, Hojoon), but why did Donghae have to hug him like that for over thirty seconds? Thirty four seconds, actually, not that Changmin was counting. And Yunho actually encouraged the attention and kept the other man encased in his embrace! What. The. Hell. Changmin was not happy but he also knew he couldn’t be mad with Yunho for having friends that liked physical contact. The last time Changmin had brought the subject up, it ended in a huge fight about trust and there wasn’t even fun angry-sex. It had totally sucked and Changmin was not going to say anything on the issue until one of Yunho’s “friends” actually made a move. And they would. Changmin was sure that over half of Yunho’s friends actually wanted to get into his pants and that was a place reserved only for Changmin. The younger man was willing to protect his man and his territory, not that he would ever actually say that to Yunho. The man was into some dirty, demeaning, sex talk but Changmin didn’t think he would appreciate being referred to as “property.”

Finally, Donghae left, in a sudden rush, and Yunho turned his attention back to Changmin. And just because Changmin knew he couldn’t complain about the hug, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to complain about something else. Grasping at straws, Changmin focused his crankiness on a new target. 

“I cannot believe we’re not performing last.” Yunho turned to Changmin as the younger man finally spoke and breathed out his frustrations. 

“What do you mean?” Yunho asked. 

“We should be closers,” Changmin answered. 

“Minnie, we’re performing second to last,” Yunho said with his please-be-reasonable voice. 

“So? 2NE1’s putting on a special performance that has twenty minutes allotted for them and Big Bang is performing after us.” Changmin wasn’t truly mad about it; YG was only performing at the SBS Gayo this year so their artists got a little bit of special treatment. It actually made sense to Changmin but it was the only thing his brain could think of. “We should be last, hyung. We’re the oldest group here.”

“Epik High?” Yunho reminded with an arch of his brow. 

“Excluding them. Fine, we’re the oldest mainstream act here. We’ve been through more than most groups and we deserve our spot at the very end of concerts. Plus, they debuted the same year as us!”

“Whatever, Changmin, I think we should just be happy to still be here.” Changmin sighed as he realized Yunho was determined to not have a bitch-session with him. As he had spoken, though, Changmin realized that he, in fact, sort of had a good point there.


	48. Yunho

Changmin had a good point. Yunho was trying his damnedest not to let it show but the order was getting to him too. He knew it was unfair of him to think so since TVXQ had lost so many fans after the split but shit, they had been at this for almost eleven years now. Didn’t they deserve a little more respect? It had been over five years since the lawsuit; Yunho would have thought the public would be past it now. While Yunho loved all of his fans, it was an established fact that TVXQ received far more support in Japan now than in Korea. In their home country, TVXQ was still thought of as the leftovers of the group they used to be. And apparently, they weren’t good enough to close an end-of-the-year ceremony. 

Who did Big Bang think they were? Going after a group that debuted three years before them; that was ridiculous. Yunho knew that the members of Big Bang weren’t actually responsible for the placement of the acts but he needed someone to target his anger at. 

Sighing, Yunho made himself see reason. Big Bang themselves had absolutely nothing to do with his issue so it was ludicrous to be angry at them, especially if Yunho was going to commit to that foursome idea he had come up with earlier. He had been thinking about it since then and had concluded that it was a fabulous idea. After the hectic schedule of the New Year events ended, Yunho would pitch the idea to Changmin and, if he approved, text Youngbae, with the phone number he had just gotten today from the man, to meet and talk about it. Yunho really hoped everyone was willing and enthusiastic because he wanted to see what those hips of Youngbae’s could do in bed and watch Seunghyun’s normally composed appearance fall to pieces. 

Removing his mind from the dirtier section of his fantasies, Yunho grinned over at Changmin. He was extremely grateful to his lover; because he stayed, because he knew exactly what Yunho was thinking even when he didn’t want to admit it, and because he had gifted Yunho with his love. Honestly, if the split had never happened, Yunho wasn’t sure he would have ever seen Changmin become the extraordinary man in front of him. Changmin had fully bloomed like a tree that needs the surrounding plants to be removed to grow. Changmin and Yunho were equals in every way. Not that they weren’t before, but Changmin was always being overshadowed by his hyungs. Losing their three brothers had allowed Changmin to show off his skills, and it made the man stronger, wiser. They had actually met up with the JYJ members for coffee a couple months ago and while it was fun, all five people knew they would never be the same. They were still family but even family has to move apart at some point. TVXQ was Yunho and Changmin, simply as that, and Yunho wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“What?” Changmin asked when he couldn’t take Yunho staring at him any longer. 

“Nothing,” Yunho grinned. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you.”

Changmin smiled back but rolled his eyes. “God, you’re such a sap.” Changmin pulled Yunho in for a quick embrace so he could speak low enough that only they would know what was said. “Plus, we both know I’m the lucky one here.” 

Yunho was about to argue when the backstage opened and allowed Youngbae, Daesung, and G-Dragon through. G-Dragon was still looking less than healthy and immediately sat down to lean against the wall. Youngbae had confessed to him earlier what had actually happened, releasing the entire story, so Yunho knew he was coming down from a dangerous high, not a fainting incident. 

Yunho couldn’t help it; as much as he might try to be perfect, he was still human, and he sent a glare their way. For one, they were the finishers instead of TVXQ and two, more importantly; they had interrupted his moment with Changmin. Youngbae looked over at Yunho to great his new friend but frowned when he saw Yunho’s expression. Great, Yunho thought, now he thinks I’m pissed at him. I can just kiss goodbye to that foursome and Youngbae’s friendship. But, instead of turning away like most celebrities would in the face of Yunho’s displeasure, what Youngbae did next pleasantly surprised Yunho.


	49. Taeyang

Youngbae wasn’t stunned to see Yunho scowling at him when they entered the backstage area. While he wouldn’t exactly change things, Youngbae knew it probably hurt Yunho and Changmin’s pride to not be the finisher. After all, they had debuted three years before Big Bang but then again, so had Epik High and they had performed more towards the early-middle. The closer for the night generally had to do with who could get the audience the most pumped up and animated. Usually, it was a mixture of the sheer number of fans there and who was the most exciting performer. While TVXQ was ridiculously talented and hard-working, they had lost many of their fans during the split; both Yunho and Youngbae knew that. However, Youngbae knew that it still must hurt. 

So after he was fitted with his microphone, Youngbae headed over to Yunho with Daesung, determined to keep the atmosphere friendly. 

“Hey guys!” Youngbae bowed as they approached the other pair. “We thought we would come early so we wouldn’t miss the start of your performance.” Youngbae made sure to keep a smile on his face so the statement wouldn’t come out as a taunt. Both TVXQ members looked a little hesitant but Yunho quickly broke out into a matching smile. 

“You sure you aren’t just here to watch 2NE1 perform?” Yunho teased. Youngbae and Daesung both laughed quietly; Youngbae noticing the strain on his friend’s face as he tried not to let his signature laughter out full-force. 

“Don’t look now but CL’s looking this way,” Changmin said, relaxing into the environment. Youngbae turned to see his good friend looking his way and waved at her with a goofy expression on his face, trying to make her laugh onstage. Chaerin just stuck a quick tongue out at him and turned back to the audience. 

“We’ve seen them perform this same routine so many times, it’s a wonder we don’t know the thing by heart,” Daesung quipped. 

“What do you mean? I‘ve got the whole thing down pat,” Youngbae said. 

“Well, maybe you could show us sometime,” Yunho replied. Youngbae was slightly taken back by the sudden heat in the older man’s voice but figured it was just his imagination. But then Changmin threw a quizzical look Yunho’s way, so maybe Youngbae wasn’t entirely crazy. 

Yunho shrugged at Changmin before turning back to the Big Bang members. “So how excited are you guys to go home for the night?” 

Youngbae felt a lightning jolt of lust course through his body at the reminder of ‘later.’ Fortunately, Daesung answered for the both of them. “No more than you guys, I heard you filmed Running Man before you came here.”

Changmin nodded. “Two schedules in one day isn’t bad at all.”

Youngbae and Daesung exchanged a look before Daesung replied. “But this Gayo has been filming for over five hours.”

Youngbae continued where he left off: “And Running Man is an exhausting program to film!”

Yunho and Changmin chuckled softly. “I forgot that you guys don’t go on broadcast that often,” Changmin pointed out. 

“True,” Youngbae admitted. Just as he was about to ask if the two other men were available to hang out anytime soon, 2NE1 finished their routine. 

“Showtime,” Yunho said with a cheesy grin on his face and the TVXQ members left to perform Something, Spellbound, and Ten. 

“Did you enjoy the performance, oppa?” Chaerin asked, with Bom right next to her. Youngbae was fond of both of them and proud that they wanted his input but he hadn’t really watched a moment of their performance, too distracted by Yunho. And Changmin too, but Youngbae was particularly interested in Yunho right now. He thought that if Yunho was his friend, Changmin would eventually hang out with him too. Maybe Seunghyun could see if he liked the TVXQ members too. 

“It was lovely, ladies,” Youngbae replied, with an easy lie.

Chaerin rolled her eyes and punched Youngbae lightly. “You didn’t see any of it, did you?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Youngbae said sarcastically, with a chuckle. Bom and Chaerin giggled a little then headed their own ways for the night, Bom off to Dongwook as Youngbae had learned earlier. He would have to threaten the actor later. No one got away with hurting one of his girls.


	50. T.O.P.

Seunghyun watched Youngbae chat with Yunho and Changmin first, then Bom and Chaerin with a dumb grin on his face. Youngbae was a naturally shy person with new people but he seemed to get along with Yunho and Changmin well, from the constant smile his lover was wearing. Youngbae had known Chaerin and Bom for years and was completely oblivious to Chaerin’s previous crush on him, as Seunghyun preferred it. His lover was totally dense when it came to people being attracted to him. Seunghyun liked that about him. Seunghyun never had to worrying about Youngbae cheating on him because the man couldn’t distinguish sexual advances from friendly gestures. Seunghyun knew Youngbae loved him but he liked the little extra reassurance. 

While Seunghyun watched TVXQ perform – well, as he glanced at TVXQ while mostly tracking Youngbae’s movements – he debated whether or not he had imagined that brief moment of sexual tension he had witnessed. For a moment, it had looked like Yunho had come on to Youngbae but Seunghyun knew that couldn’t be true because Youngbae told him Yunho was with Changmin. Now, Seunghyun was inferring all of this from facial expressions but he prided himself on being an experienced people-reader and he could have sworn that was what he saw. But it couldn’t be true. Unless….

Seunghyun stored that thought away for further exploration later and returned his full attention to Youngbae. The man had looked so happy earlier, and still did now. Maybe a new environment was what Youngbae needed, with new friends completely free of Jiyoung’s influence. It wasn’t like Youngbae was unhappy now but trying new things and meeting new people could never be bad. If Yunho and Changmin turned out to be bad people, Seunghyun would simply pummel them and lick Youngbae’s wounds like a cat (no, literally) before they went out and tried again. Seunghyun was really liking this idea. 

While Seunghyun mulled over who else seemed like good candidates, TVXQ finished their performance and exited to his side. He smiled brightly at them, not willing to screw up Youngbae’s new friendship, and then entered the stage. Big Bang was performing Good Boy as a group and also a solo song from all five of them. It was a little extensive and filled with expensive effects but Seunghyun didn’t mind. He didn’t adore the stage quite as much as the other four did, but it was still an exhilarating feeling and the open-mouthed grin on Youngbae’s face erased any exhaustion Seunghyun may have experienced. 

Youngbae had finally released his solo album this year and Seunghyun was crazy proud of him; the album was one of the best he had ever heard. Seunghyun had done his solo part before Youngbae so he couldn’t stare openly at his lover like he could from backstage but he still snuck fleeting glances. Besides, he was also recording it at home just in case. 

At the beginning of their actual group number, Youngbae looked over at Seunghyun with a smirk that said “Let’s rock this.” And rock it they did. If Seunghyun could say so himself, he thought it was in the top ten of their best performances ever. The crowd was ecstatic, Jiyoung was suddenly animated, and the energy from the crowd was directly duplicated in the Big Bang members. It was absolutely amazing and at the end, Seunghyun saw Youngbae give him a wink that promised multiples bouts of sex later. Seunghyun smirked at his fan-girls who had nothing to do with his happiness, and was already planning the different positions they could go through. Seunghyun had already had Youngbae every which way, and Youngbae had him too, but somehow it never seemed to get boring. Seunghyun’s thirst for Youngbae was just never clenched. Oh darn, it was a condition Seunghyun would have to carry for the rest of his life. And the treatment was oh, so much fun.


	51. Changmin

Yunho had insisted that they stay to watch Big Bang’s performance, since they had done the same thing for them. Changmin didn’t mind and it sure was a performance. Changmin was amazed at their ability to get the crowd up on their feet and bouncing in sheer excitement. Although he had been a little angry at Big Bang earlier, Youngbae and Daesung impressed him with their handling of the could-have-been-awkward situation. Watching their routine, Changmin couldn’t help but think of how awesome a collaboration between their two groups would be. He would have to bring that up with SM later because it really would be the shit. 

Speaking of collaborations, Changmin smirked as he looked over at Yunho, who was dutifully observing the stage. Changmin knew his lover better than Yunho knew himself; he knew Yunho’s needs, insecurities, desires, and fears. And Changmin knew that tone of voice Yunho had used earlier. While Changmin could be possessive, he also wasn’t opposed to trying something new, which was exactly what Yunho had in mind, if Changmin read him correctly. Youngbae and Seunghyun seemed like a good people, extremely handsome and friendly, but Yunho and Changmin had never invited other people to their bed before. If it ever even came to fruition; Yunho was a grown man and could think of other people sexually but Changmin wasn’t sure Yunho would actually jeopardize his new-found friendship with Youngbae just for one night of pleasure. Changmin would be okay either way, but he didn’t want Yunho losing a friend over sex. It would be a matter they would all have to discuss. 

Yunho and Changmin had planned on greeting the Big Bang members after their performance but they both caught the wanton looks Youngbae and Seunghyun were giving each other. The TVXQ members left backstage, knowing they had Youngbae’s phone number anyway, and pitying the man that tried to get between the couple at that moment. Seunghyun and Youngbae might maul anyone who interfered, if the intensity of their eye contact was anything to go by. 

Changmin and Yunho gathered their stuff quickly, eager to go home and also trying to beat the traffic. Their manager rushed them along and soon TVXQ was in the van and on their way to Changmin’s apartment for the night. 

“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Yunho said as he leaned his head on Changmin’s shoulder in the backseat. 

Changmin immediately began running his hand through Yunho’s hair, knowing their driver was to be trusted. “No, it wasn’t.” Changmin nodded. “It wasn’t bad at all.” The day had turned out better than Changmin expected but he was ready to be back home in their apartment, alone with Yunho.


	52. Yunho

Something had made Changmin feel better. Yunho could tell from the way Changmin leaned back against Yunho and his easy agreement to Yunho’s statement. Yunho wasn’t sure what it was; seeing the Running Man members again, eating delicious food, meeting new people, or actually performing. It didn’t matter to Yunho, though. His Changmin was happy, happier than he had started the day out as and that was the mark of a good day. With a soft smile on his face, Yunho let himself drift into a light unconsciousness until they got home. Traffic was always bad after an event this big and even though Changmin’s apartment was the closer of the two, the drive would take a good fifty minutes. 

“Hyung, you have to get up,” was the next thing Yunho heard and he shook himself out of sleep enough to thank their driver for his hard work and follow Changmin to the lobby. The couple rode the elevator in silence, both comfortable without words. They had known each other long enough to not require speech to be relaxed. Soon, they reached their door and Yunho unlocked it. He had barely toed off his shoes and dropped his jacket when he suddenly found himself pinned to the wall. 

“I saw that look you gave Youngbae earlier,” Changmin started, nuzzling up Yunho’s neck. Yunho whimpered and stretched his head up to bare more area for Changmin to molest. “You want to fuck him, don’t you?” Yunho practically whined when Changmin accompanied his words with a stroke of Yunho’s now-semi-hard cock. 

Panting, Yunho leaned up to lick at Changmin’s lips. “Just think of it baby. His small frame between our two taller ones, screaming around your thick cock.” Yunho prided himself on Changmin’s resulting groan. 

“What about Seunghyun?” Changmin asked, ripping Yunho’s shirt over his head. Yunho didn’t give a fuck about Seunghyun or Youngbae right now but he answered anyway. 

“He’s behind me, pushing deep inside me, while Youngbae sucks me off,” Yunho described. The imagery was obviously hitting some kink inside Changmin because he practically growled and lifted Yunho up to push their groins together. Yunho smirked; it looked like he was on bottom tonight and Changmin was so riled up, he would be getting it hard and rough. They could do soft and loving too but the men were too high off adrenaline tonight. With a grunt of exasperation, Changmin set Yunho back down to tear Yunho’s pants off then lifted him back up again. 

“Bedroom, couch, or floor, baby. The last time we had sex against the wall, your head started bleeding and we didn’t even notice until afterwards.” Yunho was not willing to try that out himself. 

“That’s because you were too busy fucking my brains out for either of us to care,” Changmin mumbled into Yunho’s nipple that was currently in his mouth. Yunho just grabbed a chunk of his hair and snapped his head up to look at him. Changmin relented, moving away from the wall and sliding down to the floor as he connected their lips. Yunho moaned, enjoying his lover’s dominant mood, and rolled his hips down unto Changmin’s lap. Changmin grinned up at him and bit at Yunho’s lips in a way that warned a rough ride was ahead. 

Three hours and several positions later, Changmin collapsed against Yunho’s chest, knocked out cold. Yunho carefully got up, wincing at the slight pain in his back, and cleaned them both up before rejoining Changmin under the covers. Yunho fell asleep that night with a content and snoring Changmin curled around him in the same bed they had woken up that morning in. 

As he enjoyed Changmin’s warmth and scent, Yunho slowly relinquished his hold on consciousness. Before he drifted off, Yunho thought that he had been reminded that every day was a gift. Today had been great and unexpected. He couldn’t wait to see what the next day brought in its flurry of activities; as long as Changmin was by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's the end of it. I hope you enjoyed it and please share parting thoughts if you wouldn't mind :) Also, I've been having trouble writing lately so I might be taking a break after this one. And if I do continue, my next story will be Bleach instead of K-Pop so that will be an interesting change.


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